Volvo Cars USA is Building an EV Charging Network at Starbucks Locations Along a 1,350-Mile Route Between Seattle & Denver

author: Eric Walz   

Volvo Cars USA is building a public electric vehicle charging network that will connect the cities of Seattle, Washington and Denver, Colorado. The EV chargers will be located at Starbucks locations along the route and will allow EV drivers to travel between the two cities without having to worry about running out of juice.

The chargers will be installed at the popular coffee shops beginning this summer and will be operated by ChargePoint. All of the EV chargers are expected to be installed along the route by the end of the year.

"ChargePoint is enabling accessible EV charging opportunities anywhere drivers need it," said Pasquale Romano, President and CEO of ChargePoint. "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."

Volvo Cars said its will install up to 60 Volvo-branded, ChargePoint DC fast chargers at up to 15 Starbucks locations along a 1,350-mile route from the Denver area to the coffee company's Seattle headquarters. 

The route connecting Denver and Seattle will provide EV drivers traveling between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest with convenient and reliable places to stop and recharge their cars. Volvo says the public charging network will make charging its vehicles as easy as going to Starbucks.

"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. "Working with Starbucks we can do that by giving them enjoyable places to relax while their cars recharge."

The plans include installing the  EV chargers roughly every 100 miles, which is sufficient for most new EVs that easily travel 200+ miles on a full charge.

The 1,350-mile EV charging network will include ChargePoint's DC fast chargers, which are capable of charging Volvo's C40 Recharge electric SUV from a 20 to 90% charge in about 40 minutes. Being located at Starbucks means that EV drivers can enjoy a cup of coffee or a snack while waiting for their vehicles to charge.

Volvo's C40 Recharge also comes with Google's Android Automotive OS built-in, which powers the vehicle's infotainment system. C40 drivers can use the ChargePoint app integrated into their vehicle's in-dash system to locate and get directions to nearby chargers at the various Starbucks locations. 

Drivers of Volvo Cars will get the added benefit of having access to these stations at no charge or at preferential rates, since all 2022 Volvo EVs come standard with 250 kWh of complimentary DC fast (CCS) and Level 2 charging for 3 years, and a subsequent 12-month Pass+ membership from charging provider Electrify America to meet charging needs outside of the Starbucks locations.

Drivers of other EVs can use the ChargePoint smartphone app to find and access the chargers. All EV drivers will be able to use these stations for a fee.

Starbucks aspires to lead the retail industry in carbon reducing solutions by offering EV charging and onsite solar availability at its stores and in adjacent locations. The coffee chain plans to expand its solar pilot locations to 55 new stores this year.

A year ago, Volvo announced that its is transitioning to become an electric-only automaker by 2030. Establishing a network of conveintant EV chargers throughout North America will help with that goal. The company is electrifying its entire model lineup, replacing all of its internal combustion engine models by then. 

In the interim, Volvo aims for hybrid models to make up 50% of its offering by 2025, but eventually the automaker's hybrid models will be replaced by fully-electric vehicles by Volvo's 2030 timeline.

Volvo's transition towards becoming a fully electric car company is part of its ambitious plan to address climate change, but it's also a way for the company to adapt to a changing auto industry that is moving quickly towards electrification.

"There is no long-term future for cars with an internal combustion engine," said Henrik Green, Volvo's chief technology officer when the company announced its was going all-electric in March 2021. "We are firmly committed to becoming an electric-only car maker and the transition should happen by 2030. It will allow us to meet the expectations of our customers and be a part of the solution when it comes to fighting climate change."

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.