As part of a new push to build and update its stores, Walmart says it's "developing a coast-to-coast network of affordable electric vehicle fast-charging stations."
The plan was first announced in 2023, when Walmart said it would install "thousands" of fast chargers at its stores.
Walmart has also partnered with Electrify America, a brand owned by Volkswagen, to install electric vehicle charging stations at some of its stores.
That rollout started in 2018. In the next year, 120 charging stations were installed.
Walmart has the potential to widely distribute charging infrastructure. There are already more than 5,000 Walmart stores and Walmart-owned Sam's Club warehouse stores across the U.S. The company says it has a store within 10 miles of roughly 90% of the U.S. population.
Walmart plans to remodel 650 of its stores this year, and will build or convert more than 150 additional stores over the next five years.
Guardrails on US roads may not be ready for heavy new electric cars
Some electric cars can weigh as much as 50% more than a comparable combustion engine vehicle, thanks to their heavy battery packs.
But any new charging network will have competition: Analysis by S&P Global Mobility last year found Tesla already had more than 30,000 of its DC Level 3 chargers and fast-working Superchargers in the U.S.
The group forecasts that by 2030, there will be demand in the U.S. for millions of chargers, which would surpass even the prevalence of gas stations.
According to the National Association of Convenience Stores, there are some 145,000 traditional gas stations nationwide.
