- The first Costco-branded EV DC fast chargers were installed at a new warehouse store in Washington.
- They're made by Seattle-based startup Electric Era and feature built-in batteries.
Costco, the country’s largest wholesaler and the third-largest retailer in the world, is cautiously entering the electric vehicle charging game. Known for its generous gas discounts, the company installed its first pair of DC fast chargers at a new warehouse store in Ridgefield, Washington.
The two stalls are branded Costco and each of them can power two EVs at the same time. According to GeekWire, the stations are made by Seattle’s Electric Era.
Speaking of installation, the manufacturer boasts it took seven weeks to get the chargers up and running–from when the contract was signed to turning on the lights. That’s apparently faster than it takes Tesla to install a new Supercharger station, so kudos to Electric Era for the fast deployment.
The Costco-branded stalls are capable of dispensing up to 200 kilowatts and there’s built-in battery storage to take advantage of lower electricity rates and keep the station operational even if the grid goes down. A 32-inch display gives customers all the information they need and a contactless point-of-sale device can be used for payment.
All this being said, Costco isn’t jumping headfirst into the world of EV fast charging. In a reply to a question from Green Car Reports, Electric Era said it’s in “ongoing discussions with Costco to explore future locations.” It’s worth pointing out that the giant American retailer was one of the first to install Level 2 chargers at some of its California stores in the late 1990s. Others were also set up in Canada, Spain, South Korea and the United Kingdom, but with today’s growing EV market, destination chargers are much more well-suited to overnight charging at home than during the few hours one might spend doing the weekly shopping.
In its 2023 climate action plan, Costco said it plans to install fast chargers at 20 locations, but it didn’t say when or where these would be deployed. Last year, the wholesaler installed its first DC fast charging station in Denver as a pilot site. It’s operated by Electrify America and has six 350-kW stalls totaling 12 plugs, as opposed to the pair of Costco-branded dual dispensers in Ridgefield.
