Get ready for your shortest walk-through of an Ikea store yet because Electrify America is bringing its fast charging EV network to more than 25 Ikea locations in the US.
The plan includes installing more than 220 individual fast chargers capable of charging up to 350kW speeds at Ikea stores in 18 different states.
The first public chargers will appear by the end of the year and the rest by the end of 2023. The companies will also build another 225 chargers dedicated to delivery fleets
“This collaboration with Electrify America will not only fetch ultra-fast public chargers to our marts for the first time. It will also allow us to take a big leap as we work towards our targets to become circular and climate positive,” said Ikea US CEO Javier Quiñones. Ikea set that climate goal for 2030, but the company plans to electrify its deliveries by 2025 fully.
To support its electric delivery plans, Ikea is also working with Electrify America’s commercial division to install another 225 individual chargers at relevant business sites. Together with the public stations, Ikea is looking to give its customers and employees more incentives to drive electric vehicles. The Swedish furniture company had previously installed Blink Level 2 charging stations at various Ikea locations starting as early as 2011.
The deal is the latest in partnerships between charging station providers and brick-and-mortar businesses. Earlier this year, Volvo and ChargePoint announced charging stations would be installed at Starbucks locations in five states, and last month, there was news of GM building a coast-to-coast charging network at Pilot and Flying J truck stops. In June, the Biden administration gave states new guidelines to award EV infrastructure contracts for businesses that make charging convenient, affordable, and accessible for the public.
Electrify America, VW automotive group’s charging subsidiary, currently operates over 800 stations with over 3,500 fast charging ports in North America. The 25-plus additional Ikea stations are just a drop in the bucket toward the company’s goal of adding another 1,000 stations by 2026. So you can look out for the Ikea Electrify America stations coming soon to the following states: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington state.
Electrify America is an electric automobile DC fast charging station network in the United States, with an additional 730 setting locations and over 2,438 individual charging units as of March 2022. It is a subordinate of Volkswagen Group of America, based in late 2016 by the automaker as part of its actions to offset emissions in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal. In June 2022, Electrify America welcomed its first external investor with a $450 million investment from Siemens for a minority shareholder stake, treasuring Electrify America at $2.45 billion.
In 2015, the US Environmental Protection Agency indicted Volkswagen Group for using defeat devices in its diesel-fueled vehicles to hide from regulators that the cars exceeded emissions standards. The scandal quickly grew, eventually leading to billions of dollars of penalties and agreements to purchase back vehicles, among other consequences.
As part of a consent decree that corresponded with United States officials in 2016, Volkswagen agreed to numerous actions, with US$2 billion, to promote electric vehicle use over ten years to atone for the extra air pollution it generated. One aspect of the schedule was a pledge to establish a public electric vehicle charging grid.
The Electrify America brand was revealed in January 2017, along with its first stage of station buildout. Its first station was unlocked in May 2018 in Chicopee, Massachusetts. In 2022, Siemens became its foremost external investor with a minority shareholder stake and a seat on the board.
Electrify America stations are continually located in parking lots, big-box stores, and shopping mall garages. In addition, the company has multi-location agreements with Target, Walmart, and Simon Property Group, among other institutions.
Electrify America stations feature the primary nonproprietary standards CHAdeMO, CCS, and J1772, allowing almost all EVs on the road to plug in and charge. Tesla autos in the US use proprietary connectors and require a special adapter to use standard CCS or CHAdeMO. Stations are rated to deliver a minimum of 50 kilowatts and up to 350 kilowatts, although the actual output relies on multiple factors, including the vehicle’s capabilities. Multiple Electrify America locations, especially those in or around cities, also have J1772 charging infrastructure, supplying AC electricity at about 7.7 kilowatts.
Electrify America presently has agreements with manufacturers for their electric vehicles to employ its chargers or supply discounted charging rates or free charging, including Harley Davidson, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Audi, and Lucid Motors.
As of 2020, Electrify America holds its electricity in most states based on the energy dispensed, charged by the kilowatt-hour. However, in some states, users are set by how long their vehicle is plugged in. It is usually because the state permits only electric utilities to charge for the amount of electricity a customer uses.
The Electrify America charger grid roll-out is being done in four 30-month cycles. As of October 2020, the company expected to install or have under development around 800 stations with nearly 3,500 DC fast chargers by December 2021.
Electrify America is also creating a charger network in Canada called Electrify Canada and will add a commercial section in January 2021 targeting utilities, businesses, and government agencies.