Kroger to Add 225 EV Charging Stations

The Kroger Co. and Ecotality will add more than 200 level 2 quick-charge electric vehicle charging stations and 25 DC fast chargers at Kroger supermarkets across the US.

The companies say the $1.5 million expansion will bring the total number of Ecotality’s Blink chargers at Kroger stores to almost 300.

Kroger says the EV charging stations will be installed at stores in markets with the highest demand, including Phoenix, San Diego and Los Angeles. These stations are in addition to 60 already installed in Oregon and Washington, and 14 in Texas.

Kroger has stores in 31 states. Its 2,424 supermarkets and multi-department stores include City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s.

The expanded EV partnership is part of the EV Project, a research initiative funded in part by the Department of Energy to help build America’s EV infrastructure. Ecotality is the project manager of the EV Project.

In other charging-station news, ABB today launched the Terra 53, a 50 kW CCS DC fast charging station verifiable compliant with BMW i3, Volkswagen e-up! and e-Golf, as well as other CCS cars expected in the market from autumn 2013 onwards.

ABB says the Terra 53 C is the first product configuration from a family of DC charging stations supporting the CCS standard. The Terra 53 C will be available for deliveries from summer 2013 throughout Europe.

From autumn 2013 there will also be dual outlet configurations available for the German market supporting both: CCS and type 2 mode 3 fast AC charging. A triple outlet version will follow when CHAdeMO is added, the company says.

Last month, ChargePoint and Ecotality formed a new company, Collaboratev, that aims to enable charging network interoperability, exchange session data and allow financial billing reconciliation services among EV charging networks.

In September 2012, Kohl’s Department Stores, along with partners Duke Energy, ChargePoint and Ecotality announced plans to expand its EV charging station initiative with 30 new stations across 15 additional Kohl’s locations.