[BigVikC40Dadda]

Great news for @SeattleCat. Not such a big deal (yet) for those of us in other parts of the country, though.

Volvo And Starbucks Announce New EV Fast Charging Network

The Swedish automaker plans to begin the installation of the DC chargers this summer and to have the job done by the end of the year.

www.motor1.com

The latest on this!

The full list of communities that will have EV chargers at Starbucks store locations along the route includes:

• Seattle, WA
• Issaquah, WA
• Yakima, WA
• Hermiston, OR
• La Grande, OR
• Nampa, ID
• Twin Falls, ID
• Uintah, ID
• Sandy, UT
• Provo, UT
• Grand Junction, CO
• Glenwood Springs, CO
• Silverthorne, CO
• Idaho Springs, CO
• Broomfield, CO

While drivers of any EV equipped with a standard CCS1 or CHAdeMO receptacle will be able to use these stations for a fee, drivers of Volvo Cars will receive the added benefit of having access to these stations at no charge or at preferential rates.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

The latest on this!

The full list of communities that will have EV chargers at Starbucks store locations along the route includes:

• Seattle, WA
• Issaquah, WA
• Yakima, WA
• Hermiston, OR
• La Grande, OR
• Nampa, ID
• Twin Falls, ID
• Uintah, ID
• Sandy, UT
• Provo, UT
• Grand Junction, CO
• Glenwood Springs, CO
• Silverthorne, CO
• Idaho Springs, CO
• Broomfield, CO

While drivers of any EV equipped with a standard CCS1 or CHAdeMO receptacle will be able to use these stations for a fee, drivers of Volvo Cars will receive the added benefit of having access to these stations at no charge or at preferential rates.

https://www.media.volvocars.com/us/en-us/media/pressreleases/303304/volvo-cars-and-starbucks-finalize-locations-and-begin-installing-chargepoint-electric-vehicle-charge

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

UPDATED as of 2023.07.05: Starbucks stores located in Hermiston and LaGrande, Oregon, have recently put their new Volvo-branded ChargePoint units online! Happened back in April and May this year. The first units went up in Provo, Utah, shortly after the original announcement in August, 2022. (I'm going to drive over to La Grande just so I can get a photo of my C40 with the branded charging pole.)

https://www.hermistonherald.com/hermiston-starbucks-ready-to-deliver-new-bolt-of-juice/article_b707cd2c-ddf2-11ed-b076-a306e29b005a.html

Find an EV Charger at Starbucks stores from Seattle to Denver

As part of our commitment to a sustainable future, Starbucks is working with Volvo Cars to install EV charging stations at Starbucks stores.

stories.starbucks.com

Uintah, Utah has announced their Volvo station is coming but has not updated the status since March:

Starbucks, Volvo team to install new EV charging station in Uintah area

UINTAH — With growing calls among some for increased use of electric cars, a pair of corporate giants have teamed to install a charging station in Weber County, aiming to make it easier for electric cars traveling the Denver-Seattle corridor. It’s one of scores of charging stations sprouting...

www.standard.net

Curiously, ChargePoint, Starbucks, and Volvo have not issued their own press releases or made a PR splash about any of these new chargers.

Here's the original list of proposed locations on this major western highway corridor linking Salt Lake City, Denver, Boise, and Seattle (online ChargePoint/Volvo/Starbucks units in bold=five locations, 20 poles).

• Seattle, Wash. (unknown status)
• Issaquah, Wash. (no progress)
• Yakima, Wash. (no progress)
• Hermiston, Ore. (listed as online)
• La Grande, Ore. (listed as online)
• Nampa, Idaho (no progress)
• Twin Falls, Idaho (listed as online)
• Unitah, Utah (status unkown)
• Sandy, Utah (status unknown)
• Provo, Utah (listed as online)
• Grand Junction, Colo. (coming soon)
• Glenwood Springs, Colo. (listed as online)
• Silverthorne, Colo. (no progress)
• Idaho Springs, Colo. (no progress)
• Broomfield, Colo. (no progress)

Progress for sure. Been wondering what the latest status of this project was. Thanks @bogiesan!

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

We went to sooooo many Walmarts on our road trip …. And they always stick them in the corner of the parking lot like they embarrassed we are there.

Alas charging stations do tend to get used as toilets a lot ….

This past July 4th weekend, I took a new route to Saint Louis rather than the traditional I-55 N route where there are no EA fast chargers at all (between Memphis, TN and STL, MO).

I visited three EA station Walmarts at Jackson, TN, Paducah, KY and Mount Vernon, IL. All three of them worked out perfectly as it could be. Despite being a holiday weekend, I landed up waiting only once for 10 minutes as a charger was being occupied by a Mustang Mach E. On the way back, one of the chargers couldn’t connect to the EA app so I couldn’t start the charging session from the app. The console worked as designed and they gave me a freebie -10.00 credit as well. Each charging session was roughly between 30-45 minutes and during that time my family and I would just take a washroom break, grab a light snack or drink.

I wrote to EA customer support and requested for chargers to be considered on their installation roadmap between these two heavily trafficked and traveled cities in the south. EA wrote back immediately telling me they will consider it. I cannot wait for the Tesla adaptor and for these stations to be equipped with the NACS - hoping by summer of 2024, we will have an adaptor to use the Tesla superchargers.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

I do like the addition of new chargers, I stopped at both the Provo, UT one and the La Grande, OR one this weekend. The rates seem to be fixed no matter who is charging at 0.48/kwh and 0.45/kwh respectively. What happened to “drivers of Volvo Cars will receive the added benefit of having access to these stations at no charge or at preferential rates.”?
In La Grande I just ducked over to the EA as the rate is cheaper and the charger is faster.

That .48c and .45c/kWh pricing rate sure is expensive. Why is Volvo not putting us on a 1-2 year free plan especially for these newly constructed Volvo branded chargers or was it ChargePoint that made the decision on the pricing? I know the pricing model is very state and zip code dependent, so the west coast chargers are expensive than most of the country?

My last charging session metrics on July 4th:


Thank you for charging with Electrify America.

07/04/2023 3:41:50 PM
Walmart 335 - Jackson, TN
2196 Emporium Drive
Jackson, Tennessee 38305
Charger: #100238-01
Session ID: 15634351

Total paid: $4.68

Plan: Volvo DC Fast Charging Plan
Charging pricing: $0.29/min (pre-tax)
Idling: $0.00 ($0.00/min)
Sales tax (9.75%): $0.42
Discount: $0.00

End state of charge: 79%
Total energy delivered: 17.4530 kWh
Energy Billed: 17.0000 kWh
Power Type: DC
Max charging speed: 81.00 kW
Charge Start Time: 3:26:50 PM
Charge Stop Time: 3:41:50 PM
Charging time: 00:14:42
Grace period: 00:00 min
Idle Start Time: 00:00:00
Idle Stop Time: 00:00:00
Paid idle time: 00:00

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Over on the FB, a contributor has psted photos of the new Starbucks/Volvo/ChargePoint installation in Broomfield, Colorado That makes six out of fifteen. Again, surious that no press releases have been issued by any the three companies. This newest station apparently is not listed as online and the photo implies it has not been commissioned yet.

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• Seattle, Wash. (unknown status)
• Issaquah, Wash. (no progress)
• Yakima, Wash. (no progress)
• Hermiston, Ore. (listed as online)
• La Grande, Ore. (listed as online)
• Nampa, Idaho (no progress)
• Twin Falls, Idaho (listed as online)
• Unitah, Utah (status unkown)
• Sandy, Utah (status unknown)
• Provo, Utah (listed as online)
• Grand Junction, Colo. (coming soon)
• Glenwood Springs, Colo. (listed as online)
• Silverthorne, Colo. (no progress)
• Idaho Springs, Colo. (no progress)
• Broomfield, Colo. (completed but not commissioned)

At some point, when this network is commissioned I would love to make this a C40 road trip and see gorgeous Utah, Colorado, Idaho and Washington along the way!🙂

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

At some point, when this network is commissioned I would love to make this a C40 road trip and see gorgeous Utah, Colorado, Idaho and Washington along the way!🙂

Also, wrote to Volvo this morning asking softly for an update. My guess is they want to keep it quiet so they can actually focus on getting these up and running rather than fielding PR questions from the general public. They likely hadn’t considered the impacts of the new Tesla NACS requirement (in their implementation plan) as well, so would they retrofit the stations already up and running with Tesla adapters or just let it be and come back next year and work on it. Anyways, will let y’all know once I hear anything back on Volvo on this topic.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Bumping this thread to see if BigVik has heard back from Volvo or if we have additional information about any of the remaining nine sites on the list.

Meant to send this over @bogiesan got tied up with the regular work life of me…punted this update over to ChargePoint. How convenient of Volvo? 😅. Isn’t this a partnership? I have a feeling if I write to ChargePoint they’ll punt me to Starbucks and they’ll punt me back to Volvo…‘nuff said.

Update from Volvo customer support as of 8/3/2023.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

... and furthermore, none of the three companies are making any noise about these new chargers at all. For instance, if I search for "Starbucks/Volvo in Twin Falls ID" I get a radio station blurb from March 2022. The website dedicated to the Bridgeview Starbies in Twin Falls does not list EV charging as an amenity at their store. I don't get it. I'd be milking this thing at every opportuity but they seem to be waiting till the corridor is completely built out

Starbies, Twin Falls ID (charger or not?)
Local paper: Starbies chargers

Appreciate the updates @bogiesan! Goes to show how badly coordinated this effort really is. 62KWpoles ain’t going to make much of a difference, except that we have to wait longer to charge. It would be nice to see if C/XC40 owners in these states (Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Washington) could test out some of these Volvo branded chargers.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Sooo I tried looking up the Starbucks charging station in seattle and have so far failed to find it.

Most places list it as seattle … there are a lot of starbies in seattle.

Could someone link a resource that allows one to find them / tell me where it is.

Thanks.

I just wrote to Volvo media relations (Russell Datz) to see if they’ll/he will clue us in.

https://www.media.volvocars.com/us/en-us/media/pressreleases/303304/volvo-cars-and-starbucks-finalize-locations-and-begin-installing-chargepoint-electric-vehicle-charge

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Thanks. It is off that they would not share that information upfront. Why say seattle when you could minimally have a link to the location or just list the address in line.

Makes it feel like this is a marketing ploy … still I will go with what my wife says. Never blame something on a meticulous cleverly planned plot when it can be explained by simple stupidity. In this case just really bad web design / information dissemination.

That said I hope your contact can help. Would love somewhere to use my free chargepoint dollars

In an effort to aid the EV movement, Starbucks, Volvo and ChargePoint are partnering to install fast-chargers at up to 15 Starbucks locations along a 1,350-mile route from Seattle to Denver. The route will cut through the Rocky Mountains and end at the Starbucks headquarters in Seattle.
“With Volvo and Starbucks, we’re creating a premium EV driving experience between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest,” Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint, said in a statement. “Through our partnership, EV drivers will have the opportunity to quickly fuel their vehicles at Starbucks locations along one of America’s most scenic byways.”

According to Starbucks, charging stations along the route will be spread out every 100 miles and be powered by ChargePoint. By the end of the year, the coffee shop hopes to have 60 stations up and running at the selected locations.

The chargers will be free to use for Volvo vehicle owners. Vehicles such as Teslas, Rivians or other EVs will be able to use the chargers for a fee and might need an adaptor to connect to the charger.
While the route of chargers installed by Starbucks and Volvo is ideal for road trips between Seattle and Denver, the fast chargers also aim to help alleviate a shortage across the country. According to the Wall Street Journal, there are only 5,000 fast-charging locations in the U.S. And despite federal money given to states for EV use, many states and companies are hesitant to install chargers due to the perceived low demand for them. However, as more car manufacturers continue to develop electric vehicles, fast chargers will be essential.

“Access to EV charging should be as easy as getting a great cup of coffee — and now, it can be,” Michael Kobori, chief sustainability officer at Starbucks, said in a statement.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Sooo I tried looking up the Starbucks charging station in seattle and have so far failed to find it.

Most places list it as seattle … there are a lot of starbies in seattle.

Could someone link a resource that allows one to find them / tell me where it is.

Thanks.

My guess is it’s the Starbucks HQ in Seattle! (See bold below).

With the installations of as many as 60 DC fast chargers at up to 15 Starbucks locations along a 1,350 mile route between the Colorado front range and the Starbucks Support Center (headquarters) in Seattle, Starbucks and Volvo aim to give EV drivers the freedom to move by providing familiar, comfortable and safe places to recharge their vehicles, and themselves.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

I will go scout it out soon

I was assuming (I know assuming is bad) that it was not hq as (double assumption) I assumed that hq was not public.

**** 2 assumptions in one paragraph. I feel dirty.

Waiting with bated breath on what your charging assessment will be. Let’s go @SeattleCat 🔥🔥

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Well no actual report yet but I did find the station. Used the charge point app filtered for charge point only and after clicking on a few I found it.

View attachment 7020
It is 37 cents a minute which if you are getting 62 is approx 36 cents a kw. On further clicking I got this



View attachment 7024

2 of 4 pumps are 125 max which would make the charging cheap if at low soc.

Wowzaa! That looks so much nicer than a regular ChargePoint dispenser I have seen. Those Volvo Starbucks logo⚡⚡

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

2023.10.06 UPDATE with new information from VOLVO: I stumbled across an article in the Yakima WA newspaper indicating one of their Starbies stores commissioned their Volvo-branded 62kW charger bank. Nampa ID apparently is under construction or may also be online but not officially commissioned. I have not visited the store, even though it's only a 15 minute drive from my house. I'll get there soon. Volvo customer communications sent me this list indicating eleven of the fifteen stores have successfully installed their charger banks. Parties expect the entire route to be completed, commissioned, and heavily promoted by the end of 2023. I have family in Colorado Springs so Boise/Salt Lake City/Denver (and return) is a road trip I can actually look forward to driving next summer.

1. Seattle, Wash. (online)
2. Issaquah, Wash. (no progress)
3. Yakima, Wash. (online)
4. Hermiston, Ore. (online)
5. La Grande, Ore. (online)
6. Nampa, Idaho (under construction, maybe)
7. Twin Falls, Idaho (online)
8. Uintah, Utah (online)
9. Sandy, Utah (online)
10. Provo, Utah (online)
11. Grand Junction, Colo. (online)
12. Glenwood Springs, Colo. (online)
13. Silverthorne, Colo. (no progress)
14. Idaho Springs, Colo. (no progress)
15. Broomfield, Colo. (online)

It would be a great opportunity if a bunch of us got together and drove from Broomfield to Seattle and test all of these Volvo Starbucks chargers after @bogiesan finishes up his online production reporting updates! 😎. Caffeinated and drunk on Starbucks while driving the nicer landscapes of CO, UT, ID, WA 🤩🔥

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

It would be great at if you did it for us (semi joking voice). Wish I was free in my actions then I would offer to join

I really want to go down to a Tesla super station but as they tend to be along way away from seattle and in charging hole I get worried about not being able to charge.

I hear you out loud! - just expressing the fact that I would love to meet some of you that I have learnt on this EV road transformation of mine. Many of you I have learnt from and enjoy sharing and conversations with around here. Life is too short to not have a cuppa Mocha Joe with y’all my awesome amazing C40ers! 😌

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

ChargePoint not looking good today. CEO and CFO gone

https://finance.yahoo.com/amphtml/news/ev-charging-company-chargepoint-plunges-133424964.html

You can tell - these two awesome looking new chargers from ChargePoint/Entergy failed on me Friday (got me going with a remote charge up to 60% and than failed) with both units down on Sunday evening at 8p. Absolutely horrible! This is right off I55S/N in Ridgeland, Mississippi. When I tapped my iPhone to use my ChargePoint mobile app, it wouldn’t even recognize it. 😅

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

It is aweful when they fail.
I was at a low soc when I went to a chargepoint. Good news one of the 3 chargers worked.

Bad news it was one that peaked at 9 miles an hour. Troughed at 3

Had to find a way on the way home. Don’t understand why chargers in the middle of nowhere exist that can go as low as 3-9 miles an hour!!

A shame there is not a tax penalty or other such punishment for your chargers being down more than for a short period of time.

Still one day we will have competition and then maybe we will get to gas station levels of functionality.

Not sure why they made these units so complex and bulky to even use. I really love the L2 chargers 🔌 but they are just slow as heck! Wish these L2 Charging units were beefed up to atleast 25-40KW. I am not an electrical engineer so I can’t really judge on the design and build aspects of the efficiency and reliability of power transmission! These guys made this overtly complicated.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

Related news from PILOT, a company with hundreds of truck stop/travel plazas across the country (but just try to find out where the 17 EV sites are located):

Pilot Travel Centers LLC, General Motors and EVgo Make Convenient, Accessible Charging a Reality with Opening of First Stations in Coast-to-Coast EV Charging Network

/PRNewswire/ -- Pilot Travel Centers LLC, General Motors (NYSE: GM) and EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ: EVGO) today announced the opening of the first 17 locations of their...

www.prnewswire.com

Where are these so called high speed chargers going to be located??


By the end of 2023, it is expected that at least 25 Pilot and Flying J travel centers will feature EV fast charging, with approximately 200 locations targeted by the end of 2024. In total, the network will include up to 2,000 high-power fast charging stalls at up to 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers across the U.S., connecting urban and rural communities. Expansion sites for this network have been strategically selected for continued electrification of highly traveled corridors in every corner of the nation.

 

[BigVikC40Dadda]

I downloaded this new “Chargeway app”, which I need to functionally test next week. I just created my user profile on it and it seems cool, with a good user interface, colors and pulls your cars profile in. I found out about it from Tom Molougneys state of charge podcast.

Mobile App - Chargeway

Your EV. Your Way. Using a simple system of colors and numbers the Chargeway App shows you where you can charge your EV and how long it will take. No guesswork. You're in control. Download And Charge Up With Chargeway you have all of your EV

www.chargeway.net

Not sure how well this differentiates with “PlugShare”, but it seems to claim to give you a real time update around charger 🔌 availability, plug compatibility and much more.