Costco, which had abandoned offering EV charging 12 years ago, is getting serious about resuming the service.
Over a month ago, the big-box retailer once again put its brand name on a DC fast-charging station in Ridgefield, Washington, that was made by Electric Era .
And now, Costco is partnering with Electrify America, the largest charging network in the U.S., to offer EV fast-charging at five new locations in California, Colorado, and Florida. The stations are accessible to nearly all EV brands and offer DC-fast charging speeds of up to 350 kilowatts.
Since the chargers will be part of the Electrify America network, drivers can find them in and pay for the service with the Electrify America app. Meanwhile, Costco, known for its discount gas stations, will be setting the prices.
At this point, it remains unclear whether Costco will continue its EV-charging expansion with Electric Era or Electrify America, or a combination of both.
While the Electric Era station offers slower charging speeds of up to 200 kilowatts, it does have other features that could prove attractive depending on locations. The Ridgefield station was installed in just seven weeks and it features a built-in battery storage. This allows for lower electricity rates and the ability to remain operational even when power grids go down.
Costco might also be testing the waters and studying its options. Rival Walmart last year announced it was building its own EV fast-charging network in addition to the arrangements it already had with Electrify America.
In the U.S., EV charging infrastructure has been fast expanding over the past few years, led by Tesla’s SuperCharger network, as well as Electrify America, Chargepoint, and the Rivian Adventure network.
Charging infrastructure also received a big boost from a just-announced initiative by the Biden administration and a private consortium of charging networks, automakers, and other middle-players. The consortium says it will establish a universal plug-and-charge protocol to allow all EVs to just plug in and charge at all public stations in the U.S. in 2025.
That’s good news for existing EV drivers, as well as those who are considering buying an EV. In a recent study, research firm Accenture cited charging infrastructure as one of the top three reasons deterring many from buying an EV — the other two being high upfront costs and potential lifestyle disruptions.
