This is fairly old news but it is still relative. Maybe more so now than ever.
Relative to my string of Chevy Volt posts on here I had heard that Giant Eagle had installed a vehicle charging station at one of their Squirrel Hill stores.
So, I took a ride over there, in my petrol-powered Suzuki to see if I could find it.
Low and behold, right there in the Giant Eagle on Murray Avenue with a Volt plugged into it!
It would appear that Giant Eagle started this initiative back in November with some of their other stores and are not expanding it. A good sign.
ok, so one charging station in a parking lot does not a greener Earth make but it really is a good start.
It is unclear whether the units are 120V or 240V.
If you’re anything like me you try to spend as little time as possible grocery shopping.
I’m not sure whether plugging in to charge your car would really be worth it (of course it would be a little more worth it if it were a 240V) but still, it would be nice to give your vehicle a little boost on the store dollar.
What do you think? Would you use it for your plug-in/hybrid (if you had one)
Here’s the press release:
GIANT EAGLE® INSTALLING CUSTOMER ACCESSIBLE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS AT THREE PITTSBURGH AREA SUPERMARKETS
Company opens first Pittsburgh area free electric vehicle charging stations at retail stores
PITTSBURGH – Giant Eagle®, Inc. has announced it will open three customer accessible Pittsburgh-area electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at its Robinson Township, Township of Pine and Monroeville supermarkets.
The EV charging stations, made possible by a collaborative effort through a Pennsylvania Department of Energy grant, will become operational Thursday, November 17.
Recently, the automotive industry has increased its focus on the EV market by successfully introducing several new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles as alternatives to petroleum-based fuels.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy and a new report from Pike Research:
- The EV market is expected to reach $14.6 billion in revenues by 2017.
- By 2020, it is estimated that the EV-powered market will have a 4 to 5 percent adoption rate.
- Most EV vehicles will have a range of between 40 to 80 miles on a single charge. This is notable when considering the fact that approximately 70 percent of gasoline-fueled vehicles in the U.S. travel less than 40 miles per day.
The EV charging stations will be available in each store parking lot allowing EV drivers the ability to conveniently recharge in the amount of time it takes to complete a routine shopping trip. The stations are the first in the Pittsburgh area made available completely free of cost by a retailer.
The EV charging stations are Giant Eagle®‘s second alternative energy offering in the past four months. In July, the multi-format retailer introduced the first publicly accessible compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station in the area at its retail support and distribution center in Crafton.
“This provides another customer-friendly service at our stores and builds on our commitment to sustainable business practices,” said Shelly Sponholz, Senior Vice President, Real Estate and Development for Giant Eagle®. “We hope that the step we are taking help ease the transition to electric vehicle ownership and meet the demand for infrastructure by current electric vehicle owners.”
About Giant Eagle®
Giant Eagle® Inc., ranked 29 on Forbes magazine’s largest private corporations list and recipient of Grocery Headquarters’ 2007 Retailer of the Year Award and the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Retail Partner of the Year Award, is one of the nation’s largest food retailers and food distributors with approximately $9.3 billion in annual sales. Founded in 1931, Giant Eagle®, Inc. has grown to be the number one supermarket retailer in the region with 170 corporate and 58 independently owned and operated supermarkets in addition to 166 fuel and convenience stores throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, north central West Virginia and Maryland.
November 2011
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