7-Eleven To Install 500 Electric Car Charge Ports In US, Canada

7-Eleven will be installing electric vehicle (EV) ports in what a press release called a furthering of “environmental ambitions.”

The gas station retailer will be building at least 500 Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) ports at 250 select U.S. and Canada locations by the end of next year, the release stated. These ports will allow for more convenience in charging electric cars. There are currently 22 of them in 14 locations in four states.

With the expansion, 7-Eleven will have the largest amount of charging stations of any U.S. retailer, according to the release.

7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto said in the release that the idea is to keep improve efficiency.

“Adding 500 charging ports at 250 7-Eleven stores will make EV charging more convenient and help accelerate broader adoption of EVs and alternative fuels,” he said in the release. “We are committed to the communities we serve and to working toward a more sustainable future.”

In other environment-related news, the company is also working on its commitment to meet a 50 percent reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, the release stated. And the company is looking to improve its sustainability through more renewable energy sources for its stores around the U.S. That includes buying 100 percent wind energy for over 800 Texas stores and more than 300 Illinois stores, hydropower for 150 Virginia stores and solar energy for 300 Florida stores.

Convenience stores had a rough time in 2020, with the overall number falling 1.6 percent due to the pandemic and other factors like depressed gasoline sales and a reduction in time spent shopping at brick-and-mortar stores, PYMNTS reported.

One of the keys to surviving could be a migration toward digitization. As an example, the Hudson convenience store chain will be working with Amazon and its Just Walk Out technology to allow customers to buy items and leave without standing in a checkout line.