Starbucks announced this week a partnership with Mercedes-Benz to set up electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at over a hundred locations along the West Coast Interstate 5 highway corridor. The press release from Starbucks mentioned that these charging stations will be constructed along the Interstate 5 highway, which spans from Washington State all the way to California, covering approximately 1,400 miles. The announcement did not specify the start date for the installation work.
The company stated that the collaboration with Mercedes-Benz is a “key” aspect of fulfilling its environmental commitment to “give more to the planet than we take.” They also mentioned that the first phase of the plan is to establish charging stations in “core urban areas and charging deserts.”
Michael Kobori, Starbucks’ sustainability officer, stated in a press release, “Our collaboration with Mercedes is the next step in expanding our electric vehicle charging network, allowing customers to charge their vehicles while enjoying Starbucks coffee in a green way.”
According to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory this year, it is estimated that by 2030, there could be up to 33 million electric vehicles on American roads, requiring about 28 million charging ports to support them. The report indicates that approximately 2 million of these projected future charging stations will be located in multi-unit residences, stores, restaurants, hotels, and workplaces.
In California, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order in 2020 to end the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035, making the expansion of electric vehicle charging networks particularly crucial.
These measures coincide with a slowdown in the growth of electric vehicle sales in the United States. Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of Industry Insights at Cox Automotive, stated that according to the company’s analysis of Kelley Blue Book data, electric vehicle sales in the U.S. saw a decline in the first quarter of this year, marking the first quarterly decline in electric vehicle sales since the second quarter of 2020.
The California Air Resources Board noted that electric vehicle battery range is around 200 miles, with varying charging speeds at different types of charging stations. For instance, DC Fast Chargers can quickly charge the battery in about 30 minutes.
Starbucks announced in their press release that they will be installing Alpitronic’s Hypercharger 400 chargers at their West Coast stores. The Hypercharger 400 is the latest electric vehicle charger from this technology developer, touted as the “world’s most efficient 400 kW charger.”
Andrew Cornelia, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging, stated in a release, “The collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Starbucks, two leading brands, will enhance the charging experience for all electric vehicle drivers.”
Starbucks’ statement highlighted that one of the purposes of their partnership with Mercedes-Benz is to seamlessly integrate the process of purchasing coffee with charging electric vehicles for “major EV brands.”