Imagine, if you will, the โgas stationsโ of the future. They will, of course, no longer have any fuelโฆexcept electricity. With electric cars becoming the next big move towards the future, the real question is how will we all be able to charge our cars on the road when we run out of power. Yes, this will essentially require what we currently refer to as gas stations.
However, there is an issue with charging electric cars that isnโt there for petrol or diesel-driven traditional ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles. Whilst you might be able to fill up your car with either fuel fairly quickly or easily, this is not the case for electric vehicles (EVs) because, in order to charge them, you need to be spending a lot more time sitting around while you wait for your car to charge.ย
Starbucks believes that they have the perfect solution
Photo by Kindel Media
Iโll admit that it hadnโt really crossed my mind that this might well become an issue. According to Adele Peters of Fast Company, by 2030, there could be at least 26 million EVs in the USA.
If youโre anything like me, you also wonโt be thrilled to sit in your car for 30 minutes or more while it charges so that you can get on with your day. Whether youโre on a road trip or have simply forgotten to plug your car in to charge overnight, itโs no doubt going to become necessary to have plenty of opportunities to charge your car.ย
And Starbucks, with15 000 locations across the US, have seen that gap in the market and decided that they are well placed to fill it.
Starbucks is already well known as a popular remote workspace in any case and of course, they have food and drinks too.
Ultimately, rather than sitting, bored, for half an hour, you can simply pull up to your local Starbucks โgas stationโ and charge your car while you go inside to work, eat or simply grab a coffee.ย
The pilot program launches this year
Together with Volvo and Chargepoint, Starbucks is launching a pilot program in 2022. This will see the company install โEV chargers in its parking lots along a 1,350-mile route from Denver to Seattleโ. The idea is to have stops around every 100 miles. Michael Kobori, chief sustainability officer at Starbucks, described the stretch as a โcharging desertโ as โthere arenโt too many charging stations available thereโ.ย
Photo by Lina Kivaka
Currently, even with rapid advancements, EVs still take, on average, more than 30 minutes to charge. Volvo says that its electric vehicles can go from 20% to 90% in just 40 minutes. Thatโs actually pretty rapid considering the amount of time the average laptop or phone takes to charge, but it certainly wonโt feel like it when youโre stuck sitting in your car counting the minutes.ย
The perfect partnership
Kobori argues that if youโre on a road trip, youโre likely to stop for coffee and/or breakfast in any case. Starbucks would already serve that specific purpose but, this pilot, if successful, will see customers gaining additional value when they choose Starbucks over any other cafรฉ because they will also be able to charge their EV while they enjoy a break from the road.ย
If youโre on a road trip, youโll likely want to take breaks and even stop to plan out your route. But this could also be fantastic, if expanded, for the day-to-day needs of EV users. If I consider how often I have forgotten to put something (my laptop for instance) on to charge overnight only to find it on a very low battery level in the morning, it isnโt unlikely in my opinion that as EVs become the norm, the same thing will happen.ย
And perhaps your boss is likely to feel more forgiving if youโre late to work, but bring them a Starbucks to kickstart their morning.ย
Will it go nationwide and perhaps, even worldwide?
The answer to this is really, maybe. At the moment, Starbucks is testing the waters and will gauge usage rates in order to decide whether or not the service will be expanded nationally.
If it does go ahead, it will form part of the companyโs larger sustainability plan, which aims to make the company โresource positiveโ. This also includes a goal to โcapture more carbon than it emitsโ.
References
https://www.fastcompany.com/90730929/starbucks-wants-to-become-the-gas-station-of-the-future-for-evs
https://medium.com/@adamjsimon/why-starbucks-may-replace-the-gas-station-6b19b4a28a85
