AN EV “gas station” is set to open for the first time in the US, boasting a mini grocery store and WiFi lounge, despite slowing demand for electric cars.
The unique site lets drivers enjoy a meal or do their weekly shop while charging up and even features a battery-friendly car wash.
Rover has set up the nation’s first EV ‘gas station’[/caption]
It features more than 40 chargers, most of which are rapid chargers[/caption]
There’s also a Gelson’s grocery store on the site[/caption]
Rove is a US-first as a service station catering exclusively to electric vehicles.
Sitting near trendy Santa Ana it is handily located in one of the most EV-dense regions in the country – Southern California.
Around a quarter of cars sold in the state last year were electric, rapidly outpacing other EV hotspots like Hawaii, Washington and Nevada.
As a result, Rove CEO Bill Reid made the call to open the brand’s first location in the area.
The idea is to give EV drivers access to the sort of facilities you might expect from a traditional gas station, but which are lacking from many charging points.
There are bathrooms, overnight security, an indoor workspace with WiFi and a Gelson’s mini-market so motorists can refuel alongside their cars.
Inside the store, you can pick up a wide range of snacks, drinks and even meals.
Pre-made sushi, fresh sandwiches and coffee are all available, as well as the usual candy and chips.
There’s even a small grocery section where you can pick up fresh fruit, vegetables and other household staples on your trip.
Outside, there’s a selection of chargers with all three major connector types.
This lets owners of pretty much every EV currently on the market find the right charger for them, with some even having a choice of speeds.
There are 28 Tesla superchargers on the site as well as 12 non-Tesla chargers, which can be accessed through the Rove app.
None of the chargers split power between multiple cars (a common gripe among owners) and all are set up to the cable is easily identifiable and doesn’t overlap with others.
Mr Reid told KTLA: “Despite all the spending and excitement about EV growth and EV infrastructure, there’s much more we need to do.”
With that in mind, Rove reportedly had a further 10 forecourts in the works at locations in the near future.
The Santa Ana location will open on October 15.
It comes after Toyota delayed the production of its EVs in the US, leaving drivers waiting for another year.
It even has an EV-friendly car wash[/caption]
The chargers can be used by most EV models on the market[/caption]
