Target ramps up electric vehicle program, aims to expand across 20 states
Retail giant Target announced on Monday that it is expanding partnerships with electric industry experts, including Tesla, in order to bring charging stations to more store locations in the coming years.
Target aims to have 600 electric vehicle parking spaces at 100 sites across 20 states, along with more charging stations, over the next two years. It recently announced a new partnership with Electrify America, which helps build electric vehicle infrastructure, while the retailer has already teamed up with Tesla and Chargepoint.
There were two million electric vehicles on the road across the world in 2016, according a 2017 International Energy Agency report. More than 750,000 electric vehicles were sold in 2016, but the green autos still only made up 0.2% of light-duty passenger vehicles.
Target said in a press release that the move “makes sense” because its customers have expressed interest in switching to the zero-emissions vehicles, but are worried about convenience: “For example, the lack of public charging stations available, and the time it takes to charge up once they find one.”
Automakers and other industries are betting on the future of electric cars. Target cited data that predicts 25% of new vehicle sales will be electric by 2030. California is aiming to have for five million zero-emissions vehicles on the road by the same time frame, while General Motors laid out plans to have one million of its electric vehicles on the road by 2026.
Target, which currently offers charging stations at 18 stores across five states – including California, Hawaii and Texas – began investing in electric vehicle stations in 2012, when it partnered with Chargepoint. Last year, it announced its partnership with Tesla.
The company has previously invested in other environmentally-friendly efforts, including solar and wind energy. It says it is on its way toward having 500 stores with solar panels by 2020.