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With the federal EV tax credit set to expire at the end of September, it’s no surprise to see a sudden surge in EV sales. The question is whether or not sales will drop off a cliff following the untimely death of the $7,500 credit. For an answer, take a look at the EV charging plans under way at the popular convenience store chain Royal Farms. Are they crazy to install new charging stations just when the EV movement is about to head south, or do they know something…?
Royal Farms Wants More EVs — & Their Drivers
Convenience store operators like Royal Farms do know something about EVs. Electric cars take more time to refuel than a conventional car, leaving drivers with more time on their hands to wander around in a store and buy more things, necessary or not.
In addition, EV drivers don’t have to tend a pump hands-on. They can hook up and go forth in search of coffee, chips, and name-embossed key chains while their car does all the work.
In addition, today’s convenience store operators don’t necessarily have to lay cash in the barrel to get their hands on a new charging station. Players in the burgeoning CaaS (Charging-as-a-Service) industry are more than happy to take up the burden of permits, planning, electrical work, equipment acquisition, installation, and operation for a cut of the charging revenue.
Royal Farms is a case in point. As of January, the company had 76 charging ports up and running at 23 of its locations in Maryland and Delaware, under a CaaS agreement with Blink Energy.
Despite the abrupt shift in federal electrification policy since January, Royal Farms keeps adding more stations. Last week Electrify America announced that will install its “Hyper-Fast” charging stations at eight Royal Farms locations in Maryland, for a total of 55 charging ports.
EVs Are Not Inconvenient, They Are Convenient
EV critics have made much hay over the purported inconvenience of EV charging on the road. That was a reasonably legit argument back in the olden days, when charging times were slow and public chargers were few and far between — and frequently out of order, too. However, 2025 would like a word. Charging times and reliability have both improved, route planning apps make it easier to find a working station, and public stations have proliferated. Meanwhile, the retail gas industry has been steadily consolidating into fewer locations.
As may be expected, Electrify America enthusiastically endorses the idea that EV charging is part and parcel of the convenience store experience. “By combining speed and convenience, we’re helping make the EV experience more effortless, whether you’re on a daily commute or taking a longer road trip,” Electrify VP of operations Anthony Lambkin said in a press statement announcing the new charging stations.
Royal Farms also chipped in its two cents. At a time when federal policy makers have pushed environmental concerns to the back burner, it’s notable that the company took the opportunity to connect EVs with forward momentum.
“These new stations make it easier for drivers to choose electric without sacrificing speed or comfort, while reinforcing our commitment to accessibility and progress,” said Thomas Ruszin, who holds the position of “fuel & environmental leader” at Royal Farms.
Ruszin also drew attention to the complementary relationship between EV charging and convenience stores. “Our partnership with Electrify America brings high-speed EV charging to the locations our customers already visit for fuel, food, and convenience,” he said.
For the record, by high-speed Ruszin means Electrify’s 20-minute “Hyper-Fast” charging time. That’s nowhere near the 5-minute charge envisioned by other industry leaders, but it dovetails neatly with the food-plus-fuel (plus restrooms) business model.
Location, Location, Location
So, is Royal Farms dreaming? Do they really expect to attract significantly more traffic from drivers in search of a charge after the tax credit expires?
That remains to be seen. However, Royal Farms is far from the only gas retailer to recognize that it can suck more value out of its existing real estate by installing EV chargers, especially where high-traffic locations are involved. In recent months, for example, Circle K, Love’s, and newcomer Applegreen have also joined their food-plus-fuel model to the nation’s public EV charging network along major highways.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the quick serve restaurant industry are also competing for a slice of driver traffic. Cracker Barrel, Denny’s, Waffle House, and BoJangles are among the high profile QSR stakeholders to launch or expand their charging plans since the beginning of the year.
The interest of the QSR industry in EV charging also underscores the advantage of EVs over gasmobiles from an investment and de-risking perspective. Today’s transportable, battery-equipped charging stations can be dropped into practically any location where space and a grid hookup is available. For QSRs without an existing gas storage tank, that’s practically a no-brainer compared to the issues involved in installing new gas pumps, including permits and excavation in addition to a grid connection.
Another advantage on the EV charging side has emerged alongside the looming truck driver shortage, extreme weather events, and other factors that can cause gas stations to run out of fuel. Truck drivers have also been known to drop off the wrong fuel in storage tanks, leading to engine damage for customers and a black eye for the station owner.
Whither Tesla?
Of course, no story about EV charging at roadside retail stores is complete without a mention of Tesla and its A-rated Supercharger network, especially now that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has indicated that his company will leverage its Superchargers, and its brand name, to expand into the QSR field.
Musk first teased the idea of a retro-themed diner-style restaurant back in 2018. After the usual on-brand delay, the first Tesla Diner finally materialized last month in Los Angeles, complete with 80 Superchargers stalls.
Shortly before the high profile opening, Musk hinted at more to come on his personal social media site X (formerly Twitter). “If our retro-futuristic diner turns out well, which I think it will, @Tesla will establish these in major cities around the world, as well as at Supercharger sites on long distance routes,” Musk wrote on July 19.
That’s all well and good, but state transportation authorities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere have other ideas about who and what gets a juicy slice of the highway rest stop experience. Hold on to your hats…
Photo (cropped): The leading convenience store chain Royals Farms seeks to attract more EVs to its premises, indicating continued confidence in the electrification movement despite the immanent expiration of the federal EV tax credit (courtesy of Electrify America via Instagram).
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