Volvo and Starbucks are teaming up on a pilot program to explore the installation of electric-vehicle charging stations at various Starbucks locations.
The pilot program will start this summer, and the chargers will be ChargePoint units.
Volvo will install up to 60 DC fast chargers (Volvo branded, naturally) at up to 15 Starbucks stores. All the stores in question will be along a 1,350-mile route from the Denver metro area to Seattle, which, of course, is where Starbucks is headquartered.
The stations will be spaced about 100 miles apart, which places them within range for most EVs.
Volvo’s marketing speak points to how a C40 Recharge owner can get his or her car juiced from 20 percent to 90 percent in about 40 minutes while enjoying an overpriced latte. Of course, the ChargePoint app can be used to find these locations.
There’s a catch, of course — while Volvo owners will get to charge either gratis or at a discount, other EV owners will have to pay up to juice up. Installation of the chargers is expected to be done by the end of the year.
“Volvo Cars wants to give people the freedom to move and lower their impact on the environment,” said Anders Gustafsson, Sr. Vice President Americas and President and CEO, Volvo Car USA, in a statement. “Working with Starbucks we can do that by giving them enjoyable places to relax while their cars recharge.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Volvo Cars to test how we can charge our customers’ electric vehicles at Starbucks stores, said Michael Kobori, Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks, in the same statement. “Imagine a future where Starbucks helps our customers to connect — more sustainably.”
“ChargePoint is enabling accessible EV charging opportunities anywhere drivers need it,” said Pasquale Romano, President and CEO of ChargePoint, in the press release. “We’re excited to support Volvo Cars’ road to electrification, and help provide a premium driving experience for its customers to plan charging stops around their favorite Starbucks locations in select west coast destinations.”
We have a few questions not answered in the release. For one, will the chargers be available for use outside of the stores’ business hours? If so, will they be open 24/7 or have their own set hours of operation? Will restroom facilities be available to drivers arriving outside of store hours? Will drivers be expected to make a purchase at Starbucks?
And, finally — what plans are there for expansion?
We’ve reached out to Volvo and we will update if we hear back.
UPDATE: Volvo has replied. The chargers will be open 24/7, bathrooms won’t be available when the stores are closed, there’s no purchase necessary, and the company won’t comment on future plans.
[Image: Volvo]
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The Starbucks/EV mashup was just a matter of time.
I think Volvo and Polestar have bigger things to focus on than charging at coffee shops. For example, how are Volvo and Polestar going to coexist when they sell the same product in a couple of years?
Also, what’s a Polestar and where do I buy it? Do they actually sell any vehicles? Why spend double what a Volvo costs when it looks just like a Volvo?
These are my current ponderings about Volvo and Polestar. Thank you.
It would appear that Polestars are sold at “boutiques”, ala Tesla mall locations. There is a boutique here in Denver (Cherry Creek, a hoity-toity, high-fashion kinda place), and the service facility is at a Volvo dealer not too far away.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anyplace to buy Polestars in Cincinnati. Disappointing, I know.
So, yeah, the plan is kinda unclear.
I don’t get it either. Volvo has just spent several years in a very successful effort to move its brand upscale. The XC90 and XC60 are attracting the same audience as German products. Why change horses?
The Polestar 2 is a bit of an odd-duck product but the forthcoming Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 are right in new-Volvo’s wheelhouse and, it seems to me, ought to be Volvos.
“Also, what’s a Polestar and where do I buy it? Do they actually sell any vehicles?”
This is an excellent question, and the lack of decent answers to said question is the singular reason we never test drove a Polestar before we bought our EV6 last month.
My guess (if it matters one iota), is Polestar’s future largely depends on the current adoption rate of EV’s increasing. I see Polestar as a way for Volvo to hedge risky bets on EV adaptation while padding the hard work they’ve put into Volvo proper from any fallout of a change in prevailing winds in political/social climates. Smart, really. Continuing that thought process- if EV’s do in fact “take over” as they’re currently being pushed, the lower level Polestars will become Volvo’s and “Polestar” will continue on as their performance arm as they originally intended it to be. If EV’s fade out as they did in the 90’s/00’s or simply taper off, Polestar can reduce scale or fold and leave Volvo’s assets in tact.
@Coastie
But Volvo has already announced the end of all ICE production and will be EV only in eight years.
https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/277409/volvo-cars-to-be-fully-electric-by-2030
I know, but this brand allows room to “drop back and punt” if things change within 8 years. IDFK, I’m not a market analyst or industry expert, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case.
I expect market expertise from you! Deep insight!
I actually saw a Polestar 2 at Disney World recently. IMO looks better than a Tesla but not as good as an S60. It is smaller in person than it photographs (reverse of the Ioniq5).
The “2” isn’t that expensive. Starts at $46K and fully loaded is $65K. The EV versions of the C40 and XC40 start at $58K and $51K.
Does it need to exist? Probably not. I wonder if it is set up to game the tax incentive structure in North America and Europe.
I bet they originally thought they would have to do a new brand in order to compete with the Teslas of the world. But then they kept pricing Volvos higher and added electricity, and proved themselves wrong.
Polestar is Cadillac of Volvo. Volvo is like Buick.
This collaboration will not make me buy a volvo or buy crappy expensive coffee.
You will not speak ill of my skinny cinnamon dolce under penalty of imprisonment, sir.
@Rboz: +1
The XC40 I test drove last week was not my cup of coffee, and neither is Starbucks.
I like the way the XC40 looks but it’s way too expensive for what it is.
The XC40 needs the T6 engine.
Colorado and Washington make sense, but do people in Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, and eastern Oregon buy a lot of Volvos?
Do Volvo owners in Seattle or Denver frequently road trip between them?
Seems like an odd choice of routes.
Probably two cities with a high concentration of EV owners. I can tell you there are a lot of them here in Denver.
If they made this deal with Dunkin Donuts every ten miles between Boston and New York, they’d sell a hundred thousand cars tomorrow.
Interesting – most of the Starbucks locations I’ve seen in my area (not on the proposed route mentioned in the article) experience by very conservative estimate of 70% of their customer purchases via the drive-through. I realize that this situation will be different, but customer habit may enter into the picture. When folks are used to order and go via drive-through I wonder how much that might affect usage on the route in the article. Blowing 40 min. at a Starbucks would not be a choice I would make. Presumably, there would be other businesses close by, but then, would Starbucks let you charge if you are not within close proximity of your vehicle? Look forward to see how this plays out.
Aaaaahhh if there were ever a more perfect union. The only partnership that could have been more perfect-er, would be Subaru and Starbucks.
How about Whole Foods while we’re at it!
EV charging at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s would be a natural fit.
I was thinking that Trader Joe’s could also be in the crosshairs for such a matchup.
What about poor urban and rural communities which do not have Starbucks, much less residents who can afford these expensive things? This comes off as rather tone deaf with inflation and rapidly rising fuel costs.
There’s always Walmart. The Walmart’s around where I live have installed several charging stations.
My town just got a Tesla charging station. It’s in a small mall with several restaurants.