Taco Bell EV Charging Stations
Chargenet charging stations
From Electrek — Your favorite late-night snack place, Taco Bell, is always looking for new ways to serve its customers, introducing irresistible favorites like nacho fries.
We’ve been waiting on this to show up and now it has. Worth noting that it is a fast food restaurant which historically prides itself on getting customers in and out faster than anybody else. See drive thru study.
In Brief Summary
- Electrek Take is spot on
- Chargenet charging stations (Tritium)
- Interesting spin on underserved neighborhoods that echoes the underbanked and underserved in financial services. I am guessing its closer to truth than fiction
- Taco Bell is a real leader in technology for the customer. AI is still trying to get a foothold (via Slack) but who can forget the Taco-Making Robot from the 1990s.
Excerpt
The first Taco Bell fast EV charging station opened Tuesday morning as the restaurant chain looks to solidify its position in a new era of drivers.
Electric vehicle sales are outpacing their gas-powered counterparts, and it’s not even close. Over 200,000 EVs were sold in the US this past quarter, a record as automakers scale production to meet the overwhelming demand.
A Consumer Reports study finds over 70% of Americans express some interest in electric vehicles as their next car. With new options available in nearly all segments, Americans are transitioning to electric at a record pace.
Meanwhile, the majority of eager EV buyers are younger adults living in urban areas, precisely the market Taco Bell targets. The fast food chain targets consumers in the 18-34 range, while US adults ages 18-29 are the most likely group to purchase an EV at 55%.
Taco Bell introducing its first fast charger for EVs in California comes after the state banned gas-powered car sales by 2035 to accelerate the shift to zero-emission transportation.
Electrek’s Take
ChargeNet’s CEO makes a good point by mentioning many Taco Bell locations are in places where people may not have access to home EV charging. They may live in an apartment or otherwise rent like many younger generations do, as housing prices are near record highs.
Although EV charging is not cheap to install and maintain, I believe Taco Bell is looking toward the future.
As more people that don’t own home shift their preference to owning an electric vehicle, charging stations can become a valuable asset for businesses.
Taco Bell has a first-mover advantage here as one of the first fast food restaurants to introduce EV charging. Starbucks is another company (though not so much associated with “fast food”) that introduced charging options for its customers, teaming up with Volvo and ChargePoint.
Video – Chargenet charging stations and Restaurants
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