Dive Brief:
- Wawa has launched its first-ever battery-electric truck through a new partnership with trucking and logistics firm Penske, according to an announcement on Thursday.
- The companies will run a six-month pilot program where Wawa will “test and learn” more about electric trucks to consider for future use or expansion to its delivery feet. Wawa’s truck is a Freightliner eCascadia.
- Wawa has also brought EV charging to its 150th store. The retailer says it has hosted over six million charging sessions in the six years it has offered the service.
Dive Insight:
Wawa isn’t the only major convenience retailer exploring the electric truck business. Last November, Pilot Company and auto manufacturer Volvo agreed to develop a charging network for medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks that will be located at select Pilot and Flying J travel centers across the U.S.
Getting into electric trucks will allow Wawa to learn more about the overall charging space, Brian Schaller, president of Wawa, said in the announcement.
Wawa’s EV charging program, meanwhile, debuted in 2017 but took a bit to get rolling. By 2021, the company only had 50 charging sites throughout its store network.
That’s now tripled over the past two years, and the company has more Tesla Superchargers on site than any other retail chain in North America, according to Thursday’s announcement. Wawa also offers DC fast chargers via partnerships with EVgo, ChargePoint and Electrify America.
“It gives us great pride to cut a ribbon on our 150th store offering EV charging faster than we anticipated, and to continue to grow the number of stores we have hosting EV charging,” Schaller said.
Wawa operates more than 1,000 stores across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The retailer currently has plans to increase its footprint from seven to 14 states and surpass 1,800 locations by 2030.
