Walgreens, a drugstore chain that operates 7,733 drug stores in all the 50 states of the USA, has unveiled its plans to provide electric vehicle (EV) charging facility at around 800 places all over the country by the end of the current year.
First electric vehicle charging station installed by NRG Energy
The local stores of the company will offer easy to reach charging locations for the EV drivers to charge their vehicles either at home or at the work place.
The charging locations will feature either quick charging DC chargers that recharge for 30 miles drive range in flat 10 minutes or the level two chargers that will take one hour to charge for a 25 miles drive. The company is planning to have its charge stations in Washington D.C, San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Denver and Boston and in select places in Washington, Tennessee, Oregon, New Jersey and Florida. The installation of charging stations is anticipated to commence at the end of July.
Walgreens is known for its commitment to green energy initiatives. Mira Mesa, a California located drugstore of Walgreens has become the first store to get U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED gold certification.Last November the company erected a geothermal energy facility at one of its drugstores located in Oak Park, Ill. The chain store has plans to complete rooftop solar installations at around 100 places among its distribution centers and stores by the end of the year. To cut down its energy usage and to manage the energy efficiently, the company has installed energy management systems at over 1,100 stores to supervise its waste management, heating and cooling facilities, and water and electricity usage.