Walmart to Expand EV Charging Network
Joins growing list of retailers boosting or starting their own infrastructure.

Walmart pointed out the range anxiety that has made many consumers hesitant to switch from internal-combustion-engine models to EVs – the worry that there’s inadequate charging infrastructure to meet their driving needs.
IMAGE: Pixabay/LeeRosario
Walmart said it will install fast-charging electric-vehicle stations at thousands of its namesake and Sam’s Club stores by the next decade, becoming the latest retailer to join the push to expand the U.S. EV infrastructure as adoption grows.
The discount retailer said it already has EV chargers at nearly 300 locations. It said it wants to expand the network across the country to make EV adoption more convenient and affordable for customers.
“With a store or club located within 10 miles of approximately 90% of Americans, we are uniquely positioned to deliver a convenient charging option that will help make EV ownership possible whether people live in rural, suburban or urban areas,” the Arkansas-based company’s Senior Vice President of Energy Transformation Vishal Kapadia said in a press release.
It said it will offer “Every Day Low Cost” charging in order to keep down transportation costs, which it said is the second-highest household expense in much of the U.S.
Walmart pointed out the range anxiety that has made many consumers hesitant to switch from internal-combustion-engine models to EVs – the worry that there’s inadequate charging infrastructure to meet their driving needs.
Other retailers are adding or expanding EV charging. Shell USA recently closed on the acquisition of charging network Volta toward of goal of a 500,000-point network in the next two years. The Biden administration is also working toward building the country’s charging infrastructure as it works to increase adoption.
More Dealer Ops

Dealer Debrief: Defection Data & EV Updates
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses how to use defection data to your advantage and the latest on EV sales and charging infrastructure.
Read More →
How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Where are you losing customers?
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the hidden leaks in dealerships where you might be losing customers without even realizing it.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: Improving Your Inventory Management
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence covers a new survey that shows what service technicians really want and two launches that could help improve your inventory and vehicle life cycle management.
Read More →
Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is a Dealership: Why the Fundamentals Still Decide Who Wins
A teaching moment by a legendary football coach happens to apply perfectly in the auto retail space. Learn what it is and how to use it to your store’s advantage.
Read More →
What Market Timing Mistakes Mean for Your Reinsurance Program
When volatility hits, dealer-owned reinsurance programs face a familiar temptation: pull back and wait for calmer waters. New data from BOK Financial shows why that instinct can quietly cost you years of surplus growth.
Read More →
Dealer Ads and the FTC
The agency has made it clear in recent enforcement actions and warnings, in auto retail and other industries, that advertised prices must include all nonoptional costs to the consumer.
Read More →
Used Autos Supply Dwindles
The March shopping surge, despite high prices, cut into inventory by the most since the thick of the pandemic, Cox Automotive analysts calculated.
Read More →
Managing Risk Effectively Through Changing Times
The variables influencing risk pricing have changed significantly over the past five years. Being proactive and responsive to emerging trends is not optional but essential.
Read More →
Survey Reveals What Won't Fix What's Breaking Car Sales
AutoPayPlus says extra-long auto loans are trapping consumers and threatening the dealer trade-in cycle, and that the industry is leveraging the wrong tools to combat high MSRPs.
Read More →
