Walmart installs charging stations in Ooltewah
Electric vehicle owners wanting to recharge their batteries can now do so while they shop at the Walmart superstore in Ooltewah.
Walmart has installed eight electric vehicle charging stations at its store on Little Debbie Parkway as the first such charging stations in Tennessee by the world’s biggest retailer.
The new Electrify America electric vehicle charging stations in Ooltewah are part of Walmart’s plans to eventually install more than 1,000 charging stations across its stores in 36 states as both a customer convenience and as part of its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. Walmart, which already has installed EV charging stations at about 100 of its U.S. stores, has set a goal to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy and to create zero waste in the future.
Following a simple “plug-pay-charge-go” sequence, motorists using the Electrify America EV stations are guided through their experience by 15-inch touchscreens on each charger. After plugging in their EV, users initiate a new charging session by simply inserting or swiping their credit or debit card. The chargers will be priced about 30 to 35 cents a minute, depending upon the vehicle, for a charge that could last 30 to 45 minutes, according to a company spokesman.
Users also are given the option to provide their mobile phone number for notifications for in-session monitoring and session receipt delivery. Several of the new units will feature chargers that can charge a car in 10 to 30 minutes.
Walmart said it plans to be one of the nation’s leading EV charging station hosts and is creating a national grid of electric vehicle charging availability at hundreds of Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations, although the Ooltewah store is the only local Walmart so far scheduled for the EV charging stations.
The Ooltewah store is just off of Interstate 75 and should be attractive to electric vehicle owners looking to recharge their batteries during longer intercity trips.
“Along with providing our customers with an enhanced shopping experience through added convenience, this initiative also allows us to contribute to the expansion of our nation’s EV charging station infrastructure,” Mark Vanderhelm, vice president of energy for Walmart, Inc., said in an announcement Wednesday of the new charging stations. “Many of our Walmart associates and customers are EV drivers, so providing access to these stations is the right thing to do for our customers, our business and the environment.”
Walmart’s move comes as electric vehicle owners and backers prepare to celebrate their support for battery-charged cars during the Climate Nooga Festival on Saturday, Sept. 8 along Station Street next to the Chattanooga Choo Choo. The event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will showcase a variety of electric vehicles and include a march to the Tennessee Valley Authority power headquarters to show support for EV vehicles and renewable power, event organizer Sandy Kurtz said.
Currently, there are more than 100 EV charging stations in Chattanooga run by Chargepoint, Electrify America, EPB, CARTA and TVA.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6340.