Please Sign Petition For Costco To Install Charging Stations

UBUYGAS · May 23, 2015

Many years ago, Costco made a proactive decision to provide electric vehicle charging for their members at 90 locations across the United States. Unfortunately due to politics and the lack of manufacturer support, the stations went unused and Costco removed the stations. But now, over 325,000 plug in vehicles have been sold in the United States since 2008 and those numbers are rapidly increasing. As Bloomberg has recently reported, many businesses are realizing the advantage of providing electric vehicle charging for their customers as it motivates the customer to stay longer in their stores and spend more while charging their vehicle and shop more frequently.

We, the undersigned, all have something in common. We really love our #ElectricVehicles, and we really love shopping at #Costco. We have found the value of both and would love to have them come together. We would love to see Costco make electric vehicle charging available to its members in a way that is more in focus with Costco’s pledge to support sustainability. We’d love to see them placed on the perimeter of the store property so they don’t appear preferential as they did in the past. They also don’t necessarily need to be free, but a reasonable cost to cover electrical costs would be perfectly acceptable, and with today’s networking technologies, charging could be limited to just Costco members. Note this will not take away from your current gasoline sales as the purchasing decision by us as members has already happened.

Regardless of how Costco implements charging, simply providing charging while we shop would be a great benefit for us as members. We would spend more time at Costco, shop Costco more frequently and make more purchases in doing so. Studies have shown that customers that utilize public charging provided by a retailer spend more money with that retailer. Kohls, Target, businesses around Tesla Superchargers and even casinos around the country are quietly taking advantage of having a captive customer.

Many of us have sent letters, talked to supervisors and managers at our Costco's or written as individuals to the CEO, but the issue with these methods is that the demand has been splintered down to a few individuals and not from the electric vehicle community as a whole.

We, the undersigned, as electric vehicle owners, potential owners or enthusiasts are signing this petition as a group to show Costco that the demand by members is real and we would truly appreciate the ability to charge our vehicles at our local Costco warehouse. We hope this petition makes Costco aware of this demand and that they respond with an invigorated reintroduction of plug in vehicle charging as soon as possible.

PLEASE SIGN PETITION AT THIS SITE: http://bit.ly/costcoev" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Join us on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WeWantCostcoEVCharging/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Instagram: https://instagram.com/costco_electric_car_chargers/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

#costcoEVpetition

DirtyNate · May 23, 2015

I'm definitely going to spend more time and money at costco of they provided adequate charging infrastructure. I love about 15n miles from costco and sometimes the only deterrent from going there is the lack of range after driving home from work.

UBUYGAS · May 23, 2015

I hear ya! same here.

DirtyNate said:
I'm definitely going to spend more time and money at costco of they provided adequate charging infrastructure. I love about 15n miles from costco and sometimes the only deterrent from going there is the lack of range after driving home from work.

TomT · May 24, 2015

Frankly, a business having a EVSE has rarely entered in to the equation of whether or not I shop there... I am simply usually not there long enough for it to make any significant difference. If it was a QC, yes, but a L2, no... We frequent Costco already and an EVSE would not change that pattern...

DirtyNate said:
I'm definitely going to spend more time and money at costco of they provided adequate charging infrastructure. I love about 15n miles from costco and sometimes the only deterrent from going there is the lack of range after driving home from work.

UBUYGAS · May 24, 2015

We have no place to charge in NJ yet like this. Maybe CVS but I'm in there 7 minutes.

Congrats on your new Battery!!! WOW just made the dead-Line!!!!?

TomT said:
Frankly, a business having a EVSE has rarely entered in to the equation of whether or not I shop there... I am simply usually not there long enough for it to make any significant difference. If it was a QC, yes, but a L2, no... We frequent Costco already and an EVSE would not change that pattern...

DirtyNate said:

I'm definitely going to spend more time and money at costco of they provided adequate charging infrastructure. I love about 15n miles from costco and sometimes the only deterrent from going there is the lack of range after driving home from work.

Click to expand...

desiv · May 24, 2015

TomT said:
Frankly, a business having a EVSE has rarely entered in to the equation of whether or not I shop there...

It does for us..
We've scheduled lunches and things around places with chargers/EVSEs. Even if it's just an L2 for an hour.
I stop and charge for a bit of a top off and to let the business know that I appreciate it...

We do it more so with the QCs, but there are more of them around here, so it's easier to do...
But we do that with L2's as well.

And we go out of our way to tell the owners of the businesses that's one of the reasons we stopped in...

Just something we do...
I'm not a Costco member anymore tho (just the 2 of us, harder to justify..), so I will admit adding a charger/EVSE there wouldn't get me to join/shop as I'd have to buy a membership. For businesses without memberships tho, I'd stop from time to time if the business was something I could use..
At least until the infrastructure thing starts to get much better..

desiv

minispeed · May 24, 2015

Lasareath said:
Many years ago, Costco made a proactive decision to provide electric vehicle charging for their members at 90 locations across the United States. Unfortunately due to politics and the lack of manufacturer support, the stations went unused and Costco removed the stations. But now, over 325,000 plug in vehicles have been sold in the United States since 2008 and those numbers are rapidly increasing. As Bloomberg has recently reported, many businesses are realizing the advantage of providing electric vehicle charging for their customers as it motivates the customer to stay longer in their stores and spend more while charging their vehicle and shop more frequently.

We, the undersigned, all have something in common. We really love our #ElectricVehicles, and we really love shopping at #Costco. We have found the value of both and would love to have them come together. We would love to see Costco make electric vehicle charging available to its members in a way that is more in focus with Costco’s pledge to support sustainability. We’d love to see them placed on the perimeter of the store property so they don’t appear preferential as they did in the past. They also don’t necessarily need to be free, but a reasonable cost to cover electrical costs would be perfectly acceptable, and with today’s networking technologies, charging could be limited to just Costco members. Note this will not take away from your current gasoline sales as the purchasing decision by us as members has already happened.

Regardless of how Costco implements charging, simply providing charging while we shop would be a great benefit for us as members. We would spend more time at Costco, shop Costco more frequently and make more purchases in doing so. Studies have shown that customers that utilize public charging provided by a retailer spend more money with that retailer. Kohls, Target, businesses around Tesla Superchargers and even casinos around the country are quietly taking advantage of having a captive customer.

Many of us have sent letters, talked to supervisors and managers at our Costco's or written as individuals to the CEO, but the issue with these methods is that the demand has been splintered down to a few individuals and not from the electric vehicle community as a whole.

We, the undersigned, as electric vehicle owners, potential owners or enthusiasts are signing this petition as a group to show Costco that the demand by members is real and we would truly appreciate the ability to charge our vehicles at our local Costco warehouse. We hope this petition makes Costco aware of this demand and that they respond with an invigorated reintroduction of plug in vehicle charging as soon as possible.

PLEASE SIGN PETITION AT THIS SITE: http://bit.ly/costcoev" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Join us on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WeWantCostcoEVCharging/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Instagram: https://instagram.com/costco_electric_car_chargers/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

#costcoEVpetition

It might be good to mention that since Costco's last install for electric vehicles there's now a standard plug that has been adapted and used by every single commercial EV from all of the major auto makers in North America for 240v charging for 5 years. It will serve their customers needs for years to come. If they choose to offer quick chargers some machines are dual plug and will service every quick charge enabled EV on sale in North America. I'm sure if this gets considered there will be at least one person in a board room bringing up the sting of quickly having outdated plugs for cars that never really took off like the last time and there's no guarantee they'll know how the new plug has become a standard especially if they do quick poor research and read about chademo vs ccs and think it applies to all plugs.

I would charge at Costco all the time as I do a lot of shopping there. I already park far away since it's fruitless trying to drive close and see if there's a spot. I find it quicker to just park near the exit of the lot and walk. I also won't mind that they don't have an express line and I've got 2 items in my hand behind someone in line with 3 carts full of stuff who then asks to pay for it on 4 different bills but never thinks to offer to let me check out first. Bad points... I think I'd end up eating more of their ice cream.

The lots would probably be great for solar panels too and they can use the 2 to showcase them and then start selling solar panels too.

KillaWhat · May 24, 2015

Hi Sal; Glad to see this.

We got our first Costco about 2 years ago.
I was excited because I had read that they were committed to the whole EV thing, and that there were EVSE installed at many of their locations.

Drove over opening week (Concordville, PA) and found… No Charging Stations?
WTF?

And this is a great location for EVSE.
(we put them in the stupidest places around here)

The Costco is not near a population center, but isolated in the sticks.
You drive 20 minutes to Costco, plug in, shop for 40 minutes, pull 5 Kw or so, and head home.
A DCQC would be amazing, but understandably expensive.

Wrote letters (Nice letters) to Costco corporate asking about this, but never even received a reply.

They had a “prize” staff installed in the store during opening and training, and I got ahold of a corporate manager who works all around the country opening stores.
He said that nobody seemed to use them, so they didn’t put them in??
How short sighted.

This is NOT a fad people.
When I ordered my Leaf in 2010, how many plug-in choices did we have?
ONE! (maybe 2?)

Now, just a couple years later, how many EV’s can you choose from?
Google says 29!
29!!!!
(Granted, the McClaren P1 may not count, but it’s on the list so Shhhhhush!)

Costco had the opportunity to be on the cutting edge; they committed to it, then their commitment withered away.

How much would it cost to hang a couple of Eaton L2’s on the side of the building during construction?
0.001% of construction cost?

I guess its Whole Foods showing us the way!
(Have you tried their Chili? Great!)

It’s just a shame.
Opportunity Lost (Squandered)

(Edit) Just re-read your original Post.

Yes, they could swipe your member card at the EVSE, and limit your charge to an hour and hit you for a Dollar at checkout.
I don't think anyone of us would object to a Dollar (still at least 5 times what the electric was worth) and the bean counters could point at it and say " Look, a profit."

minispeed · May 24, 2015

KillaWhat said:
Yes, they could swipe your member card at the EVSE, and limit your charge to an hour and hit you for a Dollar at checkout.
I don't think anyone of us would object to a Dollar (still at least 5 times what the electric was worth) and the bean counters could point at it and say " Look, a profit."

Better yet keep it free with a member card swipe needed, make it for executive memberships only, no need to limit the time now that the membership is $100 or so. It'll only get used by those that shop there enough already to make it worth while. You can easily put terms and conditions in there so that if someone is buying the membership and a year later spent $0 at Costco and used over $100 worth of power you don't let them sign back up.

Costco will already let you sign up for a membership, buy a TV computer stereo etc... come in and say you're not happy with the store and give you a refund on your membership. I doubt they're going to nickel and dime and charge for power.

Once/if the ENV2000 (or whatever that van is called) comes out this would fit in really well with the small business market that van will service and the semi-wholesale business that Costco does with small businesses'.

TomT · May 24, 2015

We have had the Executive Membership for as long as I can remember... With the 2% yearly rebate it gives, we have always come out ahead every year.

minispeed said:
Better yet keep it free with a member card swipe needed, make it for executive memberships only, no need to limit the time now that the membership is $100 or so. It'll only get used by those that shop there enough already to make it worth while.

mjblazin · May 24, 2015

In Texas, Costco is an exurban thing with stores spread out radially 25 or 30 miles from city center. Maybe in CA, it is different. I'm not seeing how they would add a lot compared to more numerous Blink at Kroger/other grocery stores and NRG at Walgreen's/convenience marts.

EVerlasting · May 24, 2015

Signed!

I am a Costco Executive member since 1998. My family and I also own Costco shares. My family and I shop at Costco almost exclusively. Thanks to Costco's American Express Rewards, I know that I spent $10,000+ every year at Costco.
We also purchase Costco-Ameriprise insurance products, and frequent Costco.com for online shopping.
Since I live in a condo-apartment that does not allow me to charge my electric car, it would be a huge help to me if I am able to charge at Costco while I shop there almost every two days for an hour or two.
Even if I recharge the entire battery of my 24 kWh Nissan LEAF at Costco for 3-5 hours, it will only cost about $0.90 cents of electricity (at today's average electrical rates in NJ). In return I will be shopping for food, electronics, clothing, and medication, worth hundreds of dollars.
I believe Costco is a great place to work and shop.
Adding Free or Affordable Electric Vehicle charging for Costco members will make Costco the first such big box retailer to do so in the state of New Jersey.
This will not only help Costco get positive, free publicity for going green but also potentially attract all the Electric Car owners of New Jersey to signup as Costco members.
I shop at Costco every two days and spend at least an hour there. I've been filling out suggestion forms at the two nearby Costco warehouses (Wharton NJ, and East Hanover NJ) to install charging stations since July 2013. I have even approached managers and supervisors and spoken to them personally about EV charging.
My situation is desperate. My condo board (neighbors) don't allow me to install charging station or outlet at my assigned parking spot or rented garage, even at my own expense. So if I could charge at Costco while shopping there, it would really help me. I hope this petition will encourage Costco to bring back EV chargers.

mbender · May 24, 2015

Signed!

Once or twice I have even parked at the Nissan dealer about a quarter mile away from a "local" Costco, to use their Level 2 chargers while shopping. How much nicer it would have been to have the same available in their spacious parking lot... at nearly no expense to them. If Kohl's and Walgreens (and even McDonalds?!) can be forward-thinking enough to install one or two stations, surely such a progressive company as Costco can as well!

greengate · May 24, 2015

TomT said:
Frankly, a business having a EVSE has rarely entered in to the equation of whether or not I shop there... I am simply usually not there long enough for it to make any significant difference. If it was a QC, yes, but a L2, no... We frequent Costco already and an EVSE would not change that pattern...

DirtyNate said:

I'm definitely going to spend more time and money at costco of they provided adequate charging infrastructure. I love about 15n miles from costco and sometimes the only deterrent from going there is the lack of range after driving home from work.

Click to expand...

If a business had an EVSE, I'd be more inclined to support them out of respect for their consciousness.

mbender · May 25, 2015

Not sure where better to put this suggestion, but I'd encourage anyone who signs this to ALSO drop a note requesting the same in the "comment box" at their local Costco (in the area behind the registers in my experience). I'd be specific about your hopes and probable use at their store, but also make clear that you believe that it would likely be a good business decision nationwide, as well.

minispeed · May 25, 2015

mbender said:
Signed!

Once or twice I have even parked at the Nissan dealer about a quarter mile away from a "local" Costco, to use their Level 2 chargers while shopping. How much nicer it would have been to have the same available in their spacious parking lot... at nearly no expense to them. If Kohl's and Walgreens (and even McDonalds?!) can be forward-thinking enough to install one or two stations, surely such a progressive company as Costco can as well!

As I was driving home yesterday I was thinking to myself that McDonalds would be the perfect company if they got behind EVs and put an EVSE at every restaurant. They've spent tons on their image before so it wouldn't surprise me if they did however that might mean that range will go down as our weights go up....

DNAinaGoodWay · May 25, 2015

Signed. Never been to a Costco. None in my area. Closest are almost 40 miles away, while we have several Sam's Clubs and BJ's, but no stations there either. A few malls and restaurants have stations. Too few. But it's early yet.

rexki · May 25, 2015

Signed - Just got two emails in return - Hopefully I did not sign over my privacy rights more than the NSA!!

Chicago - Oakbrook Terrrace IL - very unique building to parking lot structure - Used to be the one of the main Kodak Photographic film and paper warehouses, it was not torn down but rehabbed!! Extremely rare in Chicago area not to tear down and repoor concrete.

Anyways - back to the topic - the building has rather narrow side drives with single row 90degree parking on two sides of the building, the back is a bit more spacious but designed more for semi deliveries.

Parking is packed on a Saturday where you cannot park and its a deterrent to shop during peak hours - very over-subscribed!

One idea - put in a access gate with your EV enhanced corporate membership card and park in a EVSE stall!! Make it up front enough where the SUV soccer moms could see it clearly from their superior ride height as they past the front doors of the building looking for that ultimate spot that is highly coveted among their members. This would also make it more ICE proof!!

We live in an area with Teslas 7 to 1 over Leafs.

TomT · May 25, 2015

McD doesn't WANT people camping out there... An EVSE would encourage just the opposite of what they desire, quick turnaround...

minispeed said:
As I was driving home yesterday I was thinking to myself that McDonalds would be the perfect company if they got behind EVs and put an EVSE at every restaurant. They've spent tons on their image before so it wouldn't surprise me if they did however that might mean that range will go down as our weights go up....

UBUYGAS · Jun 7, 2015

We hit 1500 Signatures!!

Please Sign Petition For Costco To Install Charging Stations

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