Table of Contents
DEERFIELD, Ill. — A Walgreens drug store in Dallas helped the nation’s first privately funded and comprehensive electric vehicle charging network get under way.
The drug chain said Friday that the electronic vehicle charging station at its store on Belt Line Road and Montfort Drive in Dallas is one of 18 locations across the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex to install NRG Energy’s high-powered, rapid-charging eVgosm Freedom Stations
Plans call for NRG to install at least 30 charging stations at public parking facilities, other retailers and workplaces in the area by Labor Day, Walgreens reported. The stations will be located along major freeways, near retail districts and in multifamily communities. Walgreens said it’s the largest retailer participating in the program.
"Every day, we serve our customers’ health and daily living needs, and now we are expanding those services to help customers who embrace environmental sustainability and electric vehicle use," Menno Enters, director of energy and sustainability for Walgreens, said in a statement. "This is another way Walgreens is showing its commitment to helping the planet through innovation, design and efficiency."
The charging stations will feature a high-speed direct current charger that can add 30 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes of charging time, along with a Level 2 charger that can add up to 25 miles of range per hour of charge, according to Walgreens.
"We are pleased to have Dallas selected as the site of NRG’s first operational charging station," commented Walgreens Dallas market vice president Erv Siemoneit. "For our customers with electric vehicles, we look forward to offering some of the city’s best corners to help give people the confidence to drive longer distances with access to charging stations."
Last November, Walgreens announced plans to host eVgo charging stations at 18 initial sites throughout Houston. Construction began this month at two locations.
By the end of 2012, NRG is slated to install about 70 charging stations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and another 50 in the Houston area. The company’s plans also will help electrify the Interstate 45 corridor that connects the two cities by the end of next year.
"More Americans are choosing electric vehicles as a way to make a difference with respect to the environment and to our national security," stated NRG EV Services president Arun Banskota. "To make EV ownership more affordable, convenient and fun, we have partnered with retailers such as Walgreens to host charging locations at strategic locations in metropolitan areas. Together, we are working to provide EV owners with range confidence, knowing that they will never be more than a few miles from a convenient charging station."
NRG started selling eVgo fueling packages to Metroplex residents in March. The charging plans will initially be priced from $49 to $89 per month. The company said that through the eVgo plans, customers can avoid as much as $2,500 in upfront costs to install a home charging station and in two of the plans they get unlimited access to the eVgo network and unlimited miles of driving.
