Volvo Car USA gave new meaning to "cars and coffee" as the Swedish brand announced its partnership with Starbucks to establish an electric vehicle charging network. Initial steps will involve a pilot project involving the installation of chargers at stores between Seattle and Denver. Volvo calls this the "first open, public EV charging network at Starbucks locations." It’s no Tesla Supercharger network, but for Volvo, it’s a start.
First Steps: Seattle To Denver
"Volvo Cars wants to give people the freedom to move and lower their impact on the environment," said Anders Gustafsson, Sr. Vice President Americas and President and CEO, Volvo Car USA. "Working with Starbucks we can do that by giving them enjoyable places to relax while their cars recharge."
The plan's first stage involves installing up to 60 Volvo-branded chargers at as many as 15 Starbucks locations between Denver and the coffee company's headquarters in Seattle. The infrastructure is getting handled through ChargePoint DC fast chargers with sites about every 100 miles along the route. According to Volvo, one of these chargers can restore a Volvo C40 Recharge battery from 20 percent to 90 percent in about 40 minutes.
Before expanding the rollout, Volvo and Starbucks will use the pilot to assess the suitability of EV chargers at Starbucks locations. Charger installation along the Seattle-Denver route will begin this summer, with completion anticipated by the end of the year. Volvo calls the Starbucks EV spots a "string of familiar, reliable, clean and safe places to recharge."
"We are thrilled to partner with Volvo Cars to test how we can charge our customers' electric vehicles at Starbucks stores, said Michael Kobori, Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks. "Imagine a future where Starbucks helps our customers to connect----more sustainably."
Benefits For Volvo EV Owners
While the system will be available to all EV drivers for a fee, Volvo owners will be able to use each charging station for free or at a reduced rate.
Volvo Recharge models equipped with Google can use the integrated ChargePoint app that's part of the in-dash system to find and access these charging stations. Non-Volvo EV drivers can use the ChargePoint smartphone app for similar functionality.
Volvo's EV Future
The Volvo-Starbucks collaboration ties into the automaker's goal of being an all-electric carmaker by 2030. Its current all-electric models include the C40 Recharge with a 0-60-mph time of 4.5 seconds and the XC40 Recharge with 223 miles of range. Volvo also uses the Recharge label for its lineup of plug-in hybrids: the S60 and S90 sedans, the V60 wagon, and the XC60 and XC90 crossovers. The company’s Polestar EVs are treated as a separate brand.
Source: Volvo