Dive Brief:
- Convenience store and fuel retailer Global Partners is planning to build electric vehicle charging stations at all new Alltown Fresh c-stores moving forward, President and CEO Eric Slifka said during the company’s earnings call Monday.
- Global Partners is also adding EV charging stations at six existing Alltown Fresh locations as part of this initiative, and is working with an EV “innovation strategist” to help guide its electrification efforts, Slifka said during the call.
- As federal funding continues to accelerate the development of a national EV charging network, c-store operators will continue to face pressure to install charging ports as the threat of fuel depreciating in value looms over the industry.
Dive Insight:
To date, Global Partners has secured more than $800,000 in grants to deploy direct-current fast chargers across its Alltown Fresh network, Slifka said during the call.
Although Slifka didn’t specify which EV charging vendor Global Partners will be working with, the company’s charging station at its Alltown Fresh store in Ayer, Massachusetts was designed by energy company Enel X.
In addition to bringing in a strategist to assist in its EV charging efforts, Global Partners has formed an interdisciplinary team to research and evaluate hydrogen mobility, supply and distribution opportunities. Both moves are part of the company’s Clean Fuels policy, which it formed last year, Slifka said.
“As an organization, we have a responsibility to act thoughtfully and sustainably for all our customers, shareholders, employees and communities,” Slifka said during the call.
Waltham, Massachusetts-based Global Partners operates about 20 Alltown Fresh c-stores across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Connecticut. Slifka did not comment on whether Global Partners’ electrification program will be rolled out to its other c-store banners, which include XtraMart, Honey Farms and Jiffy Mart.
In addition to its c-store network, Global Partners owns, controls or has access to one of the largest terminal networks in the Northeast, through which it distributes gasoline, distillates, residual oil and renewable fuels to wholesalers, retailers and commercial customers.
