Walgreen EVSE network

[lettcco]

I searched but it seems like no one in the forum has talked about this...and I was surprised to see one popped up in chargepoint 's map. This one is right by my work place so I decided to take a look. sure enough its operational! Although I don't know what good 15mins of level 2 charging is any good, but I guess its better than nothing.

 

[GeekEV]

Did you use the google search option on the search page instead of the native forum search? I found 5 pages of threads mentioning Walgreens, including this one dedicated to the subject:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4900" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Nubo]

Look at those power lines! It's just screaming for DC fast chargers!!!

 

[hd172]

I've used the Walgreens chargers in San Mateo and Pleasanton. I'll be using the one close to SFO on Tuesday. Thank you to Walgreens.

 

[coolfilmaker]

Don't thank Walgreens. They're provided through 350green which will start charging money to use them in a while.

 

[oakwcj]

Not all of the Walgreen's EVSEs are from 350Green. A lot of them are part of the semacharge network:

http://www.semacharge.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[GRA]

Not all of the Walgreen's EVSEs are from 350Green. A lot of them are part of the semacharge network:

http://www.semacharge.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Provided you're willing to fully charge there, the one in Placerville makes trips from Sacramento to S. Lake Tahoe at least thinkable. You'd have to take it pretty slowly owing to the 5,500 foot climb, but you can travel side roads (Carson Rd./Pony Express Trail) the 14 miles to Pollock Pines, Strawberry Lane around the town of the same name, and bypass the pass on Echo Summit Rd./Old Meyer's Grade Rd. I'm not sure you could make it non-stop but it would be worth a try, and you could probably get an L1 charge at one of the small towns/roadside restaurants along the way if necessary.

Getting to Placerville from the Bay Area is also helped by the Walgreen's/Semacharge EVSEs in Stockton and Elk Grove.

And then there are the Walgreen's in Marina and Seaside, which along with the Semacharge EVSEs in Gilroy (Premium Outlets) make a trip to Monterey/Carmel from the Bay Area doable if not super convenient. I've never understood the business case for Walgreen's EVSEs, but they have provided public 24/7 chargers (where none are otherwise available) in some useful locations for trips, so good on them.

 

[lpickup]

I've never understood the business case for Walgreen's EVSEs, but they have provided public 24/7 chargers (where none are otherwise available) in some useful locations for trips, so good on them.

This is part of an e-mail I received from Walgreens' Manager of Renewable Resources:

You make the point that a "pharmacy" is a strange place to offer an EV station. I would agree until I consider that there is a Walgreens on what seems to be every corner on my commute home. The other corner is often a gas station. If the EV community (and potential EV owners) associates Walgreens as the place to go to "Top-Off" when they are away from home, then we all win. They get the charge they need at a location they are familiar with and hopefully we get them to visit our store.

I still think they don't quite understand that "topping off" may be over an hour at L2. But that is the explanation I got.

 

[nogajim]

This is part of an e-mail I received from Walgreens' Manager of Renewable Resources:

You make the point that a "pharmacy" is a strange place to offer an EV station. I would agree until I consider that there is a Walgreens on what seems to be every corner on my commute home. The other corner is often a gas station. If the EV community (and potential EV owners) associates Walgreens as the place to go to "Top-Off" when they are away from home, then we all win. They get the charge they need at a location they are familiar with and hopefully we get them to visit our store.

I still think they don't quite understand that "topping off" may be over an hour at L2. But that is the explanation I got.

Their chargers worked well for me in a way I hadn't anticipated. There is a Walgreens 2 miles from my house. On an 85 mile round trip, I bypassed the Nissan dealer in the middle of nowhere because I knew I could stop at Walgreen's right on the way home. When I got to Walgreen's I didn't need to stop this time. Next time I might, but a half hour would get me home. In the meantime, I have been visiting this store more than the Walgreens where our prescriptions are currently. If they realize that people further from home are not going to spend proportionately to their stay at that particular store, then I guess it might work then, too.

 

[IBELEAF]

Considering my trips to Walgreens been at most 10 minutes I don't see any benefit for L2 charging there, unless they are banking that you will be shopping there for much longer...

 

[Cheezmo]

Make them L3 chargers and it makes a whole lot of sense.

 

[mkjayakumar]

Which is exactly what eVgo is planning to do in Walgreens around DFW area, I was told.

 

[EricH]

Considering my trips to Walgreens been at most 10 minutes I don't see any benefit for L2 charging there, unless they are banking that you will be shopping there for much longer...

You either don't go for prescriptions, or have a much faster pharmacist than I.

Walgreen's business model (walk to the back of the store, wait in line, drop prescription, wait "15-20 minutes"), seems geared to making me loiter in the aisles of their other merchandise, so I always saw L2 charging as another loiter-incentive; clearly they hope I stumble across something high-margin to buy, in either scenario.

If Walgreen's wanted me out of there in 5 minutes, they could certainly print a label and count a few dozen pills in less than 15 minutes - there are usually 3-4 people behind the pharmacy counter.

More likely, they are seeking a leg-up on CVS (around here, it seems each will build a new store across the street from the other, at the drop of a hat); even 15 minutes of free L2 would probably send me across the street to Walgreen; pills/copays are pills/copays at either store.

 

[GRA]

Make them L3 chargers and it makes a whole lot of sense.

More than L2s, but you get into cost issues. No one is going to pay expensive L3 rates for an opportunity charge at their local drugstore when they can charge for much less at home.

I don't think I've ever spent more than 15 minutes in a drugstore (I've yet to join the ranks of the regularly medicated, so no waiting for prescriptions). With a 6.6 kW or larger charger I can just maybe see it, but not for local use. If I stopped at Walgreen's to charge on a trip it'd only be because there was nowhere else to do it, not because I had an urgent desire to shop there. For en route L3 charging I think coffee shops like Starbuck's/Peet's etc., with a co-located sit-down restaurant at least every other stop, are the places where you might be able to make a business case for L3s.

 

[dcdivenut]

Wow... aren't we being picky... I don't disagree that Walgreens is not the IDEAL place for a charge, but as far as I am concerned the more businesses that get involved with this, the better. More charging stations are more charging stations.

We should encourage them... not saying that I am going to transfer my scripts from CVS to Walgreens because neither of them here do this, but given that in most cases both places dispense the same stuff, and honestly band aids are band aids, if one of them provided charging and not the other I would try to give them my business and make sure they knew it was because of the chargers.

 

[bowthom]

Hello,
I've used Walgreens a couple times too. There are over 70 along I5 through Portland and up to Seattle. Been supporting businesses that have EVSE's. I always thank them when I go through check out.

 

[lkkms2]

Yes, every business like Walgreens can be thanked for helping us become less oil dependent. And since 50 percent of our oil is foreign oil that also means every time we charge at local EVSE networks we are sending less money overseas and keeping more money in the local economy and local jobs. This goes for Chevy Volts and Toyota's Plug-in hybrids too.

 

[coqui]

I never understood why Walgreens vs CVS vs Rite-Aid etc ad infinitum always has to build right across from one another. Geez there must be 5 pharmacies here in Charlotte within a 2 mile radius of where I am sitting right now!

I will tell you one thing. Not a one of these pharmacies here has a charging station. But I absolutely plan to do business with the one that does install a charging station.

 

[GRA]

I never understood why Walgreens vs CVS vs Rite-Aid etc ad infinitum always has to build right across from one another. Geez there must be 5 pharmacies here in Charlotte within a 2 mile radius of where I am sitting right now!

I will tell you one thing. Not a one of these pharmacies here has a charging station. But I absolutely plan to do business with the one that does install a charging station.

[Imagining Zero Mostel]

Competition, competition! Competition!

Competition, competition! Competition!

 

[GoingGreener]

There are 3 Walgreens within about the same distance from where we live. I find myself preferring to go to the only one currently offering L2 charging.

I choose to patronize them as I totally appreciate their help with the EV charging infrastructure. People tend to stop and ask questions when we're plugging/unplugging so it's a natural time to advocate EV daily driving.

Where we find Walgreens charging useful is for a top off when we go out of town. We'll pick up this and that there and maybe take a quick walk nearby to grab some food. Would love QCs at Walgreens as well!