Thanks to a new cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and Starbucks, drivers along the I-5 corridor between Washington and California will soon be able to charge their electric vehicles while enjoying a cup of coffee. The plan, which was unveiled last Wednesday, calls for the installation of 100 fast chargers at Starbucks shops across the country, starting with the Interstate-5 region on the West Coast.
Although the sites are still unknown, the corporations intend to focus on underprivileged communities and key cities along the 1,400-mile path. These 400-kilowatt Alpitronics versions of chargers may increase battery life by 70% in just 20 minutes and work with a variety of EV voltages and types.
This partnership responds to the growing need for quick-charging electric vehicle (EV) stations along I-5, a busy highway that connects Canada and Mexico and travels through important cities including Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco. This initiative is opportune as the use of electric vehicles rises, especially in states like California and Washington. California and Washington have the greatest rates of EV adoption. In fact, California alone is home to 36% of all EVs registered in the United States. Furthermore, by 2035, Washington, Oregon, and California want to sell solely gasoline-free vehicles, which is in line with objectives shared by at least nine other states.
The program backs a larger, publicly sponsored project headed by Washington's Department of Transportation to create a green highway along the West Coast. A federal program to increase EV charging infrastructure and ease the transition of consumers and companies to electric vehicles is scheduled to provide the state with $71 million. One of the main components of these efforts is improving the alternatives for charging on interstate roads, such as I-5.
Mercedes-Benz and Starbucks both have high climate targets. Mercedes-Benz intends to run all of its global operations entirely on renewable energy by 2039, while Starbucks expects to cut its emissions by half from 2019 levels by 2030. Previously, on the 1,350-mile route from Seattle to Denver in 2022, Starbucks and Volvo collaborated to build 60 EV chargers at 15 Starbucks sites.
Mercedes-Benz said in November 2023 that it will invest $1 billion to create a charging network across North America, with assistance from Goldman Sachs subsidiary MN8 Energy. Starbucks provides parking places; the cost of the installations is covered by this collaborative venture.
In launching the new initiative, Starbucks Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Kobori emphasized the company's historical commitment to bringing clean energy and renewable projects to underprivileged regions.
The corporations refrained from revealing the expenses associated with this particular endeavor or the quantity of chargers slated for the West Coast. Phases two and three will include East Coast locations.
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