Costco Is Getting (Back) Into EV Charging

Costco, that bastion of mega-multipacks of toilet paper and supersized muffins, where coupon zealots and overspenders unite over the luxury of a buck-fifty hot dog and soda pop combo, now has a branded DC fast charging station. Wait, you mean they didn’t already? I know, right?

Costco’s also known for dispensing cheap gasoline. Members line up in droves to pump petrol at the large stations outside some of its stores, often worth the wait because of how much lower the price-per-gallon cost is than other pumps in the area. So there’s already precedent for the place being a vehicle-feeding station.

This week, Costco dipped a toe into the fast charger pool by installing two stations at its Ridgefield, Washington, location. The new warehouse opened in late August and is located about 20 minutes from the Washington-Oregon state line. The Level 3 fast chargers are significant for a few reasons, including the installation time (weeks), the location (Costco), and its impact (no idea).

The warehouse retail juggernaut partnered with Electric Era, a Seattle-based EV charging station company, for the installation and management. Electric Era says from paperwork to powering up, the entire process took a mere seven weeks. That’s unheard of. Yes, Tesla has boasted of building a Supercharger station within eight days, but that was the timing of the construction itself (and before CEO Elon Musk fired everyone). Tesla’s location also included 12 stalls, while Electric Era’s is just two, so not quite apples-to-apples, but both are expedient in their own right.

Level 3 fast chargers are in demand and provide the quickest EV charging, but they also take the longest to implement. Green Car Reports says that once construction is completed, utility companies “typically take 17 weeks” to connect the station to the grid. And that’s on top of wrangling the contract approvals, permits, and signatures.

The Costco-label DC fast chargers can support two vehicles a piece and dispense up to 200 kilowatts, according to InsideEVs. Each charger features a 32-inch screen offering contactless payment, displays charging information, and showcases promotions (because Costco).

The Costco fast chargers also feature built-in battery storage and utilize AI technology to manage load and maintain lower rates, an Electric Era specialty. With the battery-plus-AI duo, the company says the charging ports will deliver “98%+ uptime per port.” If true on reliability, that should make the Costco fast chargers as busy or busier than its gas station. Too bad they’ll probably only be operational during certain hours. Costco gas stations are open longer than the warehouses, but none are open 24 hours.

This isn’t the first time Costco has ventured into EV charging. Back in the late 1900s, Costco installed charging stations at some California locations. By 2006, more than 90 chargers were available at 64 locations that expanded to Arizona, Georgia, and New York. However, by 2011, Costco removed the EV chargers due to inactivity. Note that these featured AVCON connectors, the precursor to J1772.

Costco also has a limited selection of home chargers for EVs you can buy on its website—perhaps those offerings will expand as EVs increase in popularity.

Of course, this Washington location will create a ripple effect. Per its 2023 Climate Action Plan, Costco “plans to open fast chargers at 20-plus warehouses.” So far, Costco has been mum on when and where. The warehouse giant did open its first Level 3 charging station in Denver last year, but that was through Electrify America. This week’s unveil is the first DC fast chargers to bear the Costco name. With Walmart planning its own fast-charging network and adding chargers to thousands of stores by 2030, don’t be surprised if Costco’s water temp toe check turns into a full-sized cannonball.

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