CITGO & Folk Oil Pilot Electric Vehicle Charging in Michigan
HOMER, Mich. — CITGO Petroleum Corp. is entering the electric vehicle (EV) charging space.
The company is working with Folk Oil Co., a longtime CITGO marketer, to pilot an EV charging program in Battle Creek, Mich. The station at 15551 11 Mile Road now offers both regular transportation fuel and EV charging stations. The EV chargers include both North American Charging Standard and Combined Charging System plugs.
Folk Oil Co. operates convenience stores under the PS Food Mart banner.
"As a marketer, we need to provide offerings that meet all types of transportation needs for our consumers," said Jim Linton, president of Folk Oil Co. "So, we appreciate how CITGO is approaching the EV space in a way that ensures its marketers' success. Working together we were able to pinpoint the best location to launch this program."
CITGO created an internal model to assess the viability of EV sites and collaborated with national electrical company AGI for implementation. The turnkey solutions provider will work with stores throughout the process and facilitate access to available grants via the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, the Inflation Reduction Act and U.S. Department of Transportation's Utilities, according to CITGO.
"Instead of a store receiving a monthly rent for EV charger installation, the CITGO program provides upfront assistance, while still giving the marketer full ownership of the installed EV charger," explained Kevin Kinney, CITGO general manager, Brand Equity.
[Read more: C-stores Have Opportunity to Fill EV Charging Infrastructure Gaps]
Brad Brad Hinkley, vice president of business development for AGI's ELM Division, added that AGI also offers an extensive range of EV charger brands — offering flexibility to CITGO marketers to choose the best solution for their site.
"With so many moving parts in the EV space, we're here to provide a streamlined program that covers everything from charger selection to post-installation maintenance," Hinkley said.
Houston-based CITGO Petroleum Corp. is a recognized leader in the refining industry and operates under the CITGO brand. CITGO owns and operates three refineries located in Lake Charles, La.; Lemont, Ill.; and Corpus Christi, Texas, and wholly and/or jointly owns 37 active terminals, six pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products, and supplies a network of approximately 4,200 locally owned and independently operated branded retail outlets, all located east of the Rocky Mountains. CITGO Petroleum Corp. is owned by CITGO Holding Inc.
Based in Home, Folk Oil Co. currently manages 43 retail convenience stores in south central Michigan and northern Ohio. Folk Oil's roots began in 1921 with L.H. Folk, a Standard Oil agent, providing fuel oil and lubricants to rural homes/farms in Calhoun County Michigan.
In addition to its 43 c-stores Folk Oil manages five automatic car washes, 10 Subway franchises, a Tubby's Sub franchise, a Denny's Restaurant franchise and the 115 Family Restaurant.