7-Eleven Offers Up Slurpees, Big Bites—And EV Charging Stations

• 7-Eleven has announced the start of its own DC fast-charging network, with the first locations available in four states.

• The retailer plans to offer CCS and CHAdeMO chargers at its locations in North America, as gas station operators begin to cater to EV owners.

• The company has not revealed the eventual scale of the network, or the pace of growth it expects to achieve as a part of this effort.

Finding an EV charger at a gas station remains the exception rather than the rule—and perhaps for the foreseeable future. And finding a DC fast-charger at a gas station is a far taller order.

But some companies are finally taking action.

A few days ago 7-Eleven revealed that it plans to build one of the largest EV fast-charging networks among convenience store retailers on the continent. Dubbed 7Charge, the network is also promised to be among the most compatible, offering the Combined Charging System (CCS) and the CHAdeMO accessibility. Teslas would also be able to use the network, provided the owners bring a CCS adapter. The 7Charge app, meanwhile, will provide for an easy payment method, as well as a station locator service.

The retailer already operates some fast-chargers in California, Colorado, Florida, and Texas, with a total of 32 chargers currently part of the 7Charge network offering 90 kW chargers at the top end.

The company stopped short of mentioning specific numbers of chargers it plans to build as a part of this network, out of a total of over 9400 storefronts in the US, and over 560 in Canada. The company also did not indicate just how many stalls per location we're likely to see, which is something that could be a make-or-break quality for a given location.

"For over 95 years, 7-Eleven has innovated to meet our customers' needs—delivering convenience where, when and how they want it," said Joe DePinto, president and CEO at 7-Eleven. "Now, we are innovating once again to meet our customers where they are by expanding our business to provide EV drivers convenience of the future...today."

The company's effort—while its intended scale and timeframe are difficult to evaluate—should give a much-needed boost to the charging infrastructure. But it's not alone in this endeavor, as TravelCenters of America Inc. has just teamed up with Electrify America to bring a thousand DC fast-chargers to its locations. EA is also experimenting with EV-only charging plazas, at last.

Quite a few details remain to be sketched out, including which states are likely to see the biggest boost, and whether company-owned stores and franchised stores alike would receive fast chargers. At the moment every extra charger helps, as EV owners know.

Would the availability of EV chargers at most gas stations make you more likely to buy an EV? Let us know in the comments below.