en.Wedoany.com Reported - Menards, the third-largest home improvement retailer in the U.S., is collaborating with two charging companies to deploy public electric vehicle (EV) chargers at multiple stores in Illinois. Last month, JOJO Superfast EV Charging and charger manufacturer XCharge North America announced plans to install chargers at nine Menards locations. Currently, two stores in the Chicago suburbs are equipped with four dual-plug chargers (each capable of charging eight vehicles simultaneously), with another Chicago suburban site under construction.

These charging projects supplement earlier installations at Menards stores in areas such as Dolton, a Chicago suburb, by other companies. Alex Urist, co-founder and senior vice president of marketing at XCharge North America, stated that such installations "have a direct impact on EV adoption because they increase both the perceived and actual availability of chargers at places people frequently visit."

The U.S. currently has tens of thousands of public chargers located along highways, in parking lots, shopping centers, hotels, and public buildings. In Illinois, the state has set a goal of having 1 million EVs on the road by 2030. Achieving this target faces challenges due to the cancellation of federal EV incentives and the freezing of charging network funds. However, soaring gasoline prices resulting from the Iran war and increasingly affordable used EVs could boost the market.

Big-box stores in suburban shopping centers are seen as natural locations for installing chargers. Urist emphasized that "chargers only work when placed in the right locations," noting that big-box stores are one of the "emerging different pockets" for charging stations, with Walmart leading the way and IKEA having chargers at nearly all its U.S. stores.

However, installing chargers at big-box stores and outdoor shopping centers requires overcoming some obstacles. Urist pointed out that adding 25 feet of distance could cost an extra $10,000 in conduit and trenching expenses. Stores may not own their parking lots, and if chargers are placed behind the store, drivers may find them hard to locate or inconvenient to use. Additionally, installation and maintenance work could temporarily impact parking lots or store access. Urist added that installing chargers at locations like McDonald's, for example, becomes logistically difficult, potentially affecting drive-through functionality or blocking parking spaces.

For the Menards project, XCharge North America provides chargers, monitoring equipment, and extended warranties. JOJO Superfast owns and operates the chargers, charging drivers who use them. ComEd, the utility serving northern Illinois, is considering providing site preparation funding for two of the Menards stores with operational chargers through its "make-ready" rebate program. According to Kim Biggs, a spokesperson for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the state also offers incentives through its clean energy plan. Over the past three years, the state has funded charger installations at more than 575 locations, with nearly one-third already in operation.

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