Convenience store chain 7-Eleven recently announced they are going to install at least 500 DC fast charging stations (ports) at 250 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Based on the ratio of DC fast chargers in Canada to the US, we are projecting that 400 of these fast chargers will be installed at approximately 200 7-Eleven stores in the US.
According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, there are 751 DC fast charging ports at 255 convenience stores in the US. 7-Eleven presently operates 22 charging stations at 14 stores in 4 states, making this the biggest expansion of their EV charging capability to date.
By the end of 2022, the company should have an estimated 425 total DCFC ports in the US, making 7-Eleven the 6th largest DC fast charging network in the US, behind Tesla, Electrify America, and ChargePoint. Despite this significant investment and growth, the company’s US charging stations would only account for roughly 2% of the total number of DC fast charging ports by the end of 2022.
The company has shared few details, but based on their current charging approach, it is likely that each location will have two 125 kW chargers. Fast chargers located at neighborhood 7-Elevens could especially benefit nearby apartment-dwellers who lack the ability to charge at home, or construction and other workers on the way to and from jobs in their electric trucks and vans.
The company operates or franchises more than 10,000 stores in the United States and Canada, with roughly 7,800 stores in the United States. 7‑Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto underlined this commitment in a statement saying that the addition of these charging stations helps continue 7-Eleven’s position as a convenience store in all senses of the term, in addition to easing the switch to electric vehicles. This is in line with the chain’s commitment to reducing its carbon output by 50% by 2030.
