Dive Brief:
- Citgo Petroleum has entered the electric vehicle charging space with a site in Battle Creek, Michigan, as the pilot location for its new program, according to a press release from Citgo.
- The location, a PS Food Mart owned by Folk Oil Company, has four charging positions and uses XCharge hardware, Kevin Kinney, program lead and general manager for brand equity at Citgo, said in an email.
- This PS Food Mart was selected using Citgo’s internal model, which can help determine what locations in an interested company’s footprint are best for adding EV infrastructure, according to the announcement.
Dive Insight:
With many c-store retailers hesitant to dive into EV charging, having a partner that can help determine each location’s viability and assist with implementing chargers could help boost their confidence.
"We appreciate how Citgo is approaching the EV space in a way that ensures its marketers' success," said Jim Linton, president of Folk Oil Company. "Working together we were able to pinpoint the best location to launch this program."
For this program, Citgo is working with interested marketers to find appropriate sites for EV charging. Together, they review the company’s locations to ensure they meet minimum requirements as far as the size of the lot and store, as well as the image of the location, Kinney said.
Next, they “provide the economic modeling, including demand and any available incentives, and together with [the] marketer decide if the project is viable,” Kinney said. The incentives can include any potential grants from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program.
Some sites may not be viable for EV charging at present, but could be revisited in the future, he noted.
Once the project is deemed viable, both parties work together with national electrical company AGI to implement the chargers.
While the Battle Creek site uses XCharge chargers, the program has access to different brands that can be selected depending on the site’s needs.
“The goal is to get the best charger for a particular store and the choice depends on several factors, including price, connections, reliability, service, etc.,” said Kinney.
Homer, Michigan-based Folk Oil manages 43 PS Food Marts in south central Michigan and northern Ohio. Additionally, the company manages five automatic car washes, 10 Subway franchises, a Tubby's Sub franchise, a Denny's franchise and the 115 Family Restaurant.
