COSTCO has officially removed ALL existing EVSEs

[Electric4Me]

I'll need something more official than your say so before I write any letters. What's your source?

I too recently dropped off upgrade paperwork at my local Costco and was told by the manager that he'd seen a corporate memo saying they would be removing the EVSEs. So, mxp isn't just making this all up...

Maybe it's time to get the media involved. I bet ABG would eat this up. In light of the "greenwashing" Costco has been doing some negative publicity would hopefully put some pressure on them to put the removals on hold, and take advantage of the free upgrades in some key locations and revisit this in 6-12 months.

[smkettner]

They concluded that those EVSEs were severely under utilized and a parking spot was worth more revenue than allocating it for an EV.

That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard from Costco. How can it ever be utilized if it is old broken equipment and occupied by the tire department

[Nekota]

Another reason to shop elsewhere where EVSE are installed and working.

[TomT]

Naw, I still like Costco too much to leave...

Another reason to shop elsewhere where EVSE are installed and working.

[smkettner]

Another reason to shop elsewhere where EVSE are installed and working.

Someday that might actually be an option

[thankyouOB]

uh, I dont go to Costco for the great selection of cheap charging spots.
With or without, I would go to Costco. The 40 minutes of charging wont send me to walmart.

[GeekEV]

They concluded that those EVSEs were severely under utilized and a parking spot was worth more revenue than allocating it for an EV.

That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard from Costco. How can it ever be utilized if it is old broken equipment and occupied by the tire department

I agree it's pretty dumb. I can understand them having done this a few years ago after seeing the initial investment and crop of EVs be a total failure. But now with free upgrades (to the ones in CA anyway) and thousands of EVs on the road and more to come? It just doesn't make sense to me.

Maybe it's time to get the media involved. I bet ABG would eat this up. In light of the "greenwashing" Costco has been doing some negative publicity would hopefully put some pressure on them to put the removals on hold, and take advantage of the free upgrades in some key locations and revisit this in 6-12 months.

Maybe. But you'd have to be careful that it doesn't cascade into a general anti-EV piece (as the media seems to be so fond of doing)... Did you mean ABC or ABG? If the later, who's ABG?

[dpodoll]

If the later, who's ABG?

ABG http://www.autoblog.com/

[TEG]

I agree it's pretty dumb. I can understand them having done this a few years ago after seeing the initial investment and crop of EVs be a total failure.

Keep in mind that 'failure' was basically the result of the vehicles being pulled from the market. Costco got encouraged to install those EVSEs, then the manufacturers stopped making the cars that could use them.

But now with free upgrades (to the ones in CA anyway) and thousands of EVs on the road and more to come? It just doesn't make sense to me.

Yes, exactly. Just as EV production starts to ramp up they decide now is the time to remove them? The experience they have of the past 5 years is not at all representative of the use they would get now and in coming years.


There are probably various financial incentives and political motivations surrounding this whole situation. But for all we know Costco is just doing some sort of 'knee jerk' reaction to the sudden amount of questions they started to get about this equipment. In a way when they could silently ignore the little used charge spots back before it was less of a 'hassle' for them. Now they are being asked to 'upgrade', and consider if to upgrade only the Avcon, or the SPI too. Someone somewhere may have just thought "why did we do this again?" A case of the "squeaky wheel gets the axe!"

[Herm]

It may be easier to talk to Costco's competition.. do they Have Sam's Club in California?