Royal Farms Builds Up Tesla EV Charging Partnership
BALTIMORE — Royal Farms is building upon its Tesla electric vehicle (EV) charging partnership with the ribbon cutting of a new Tesla Super Charger at a convenience store in Gaithersburg, Md.
The c-store chain's relationship with Tesla began in 2017, and currently has 14 locations with Tesla EV chargers. As EV vehicle sales continue to grow, Royal Farms is looking to bring charging stations to an additional 25 c-stores through the partnership. Currently, these chargers are only for Tesla vehicles.
[Read more: Wild Cards in the EV Fast-Charging Business Model]
Royal Farms has been adding EV chargers to select locations since 2015 to align with the company's culture of sustainability and its mission to delight customers in a way that creates loyalty, the chain stated.
"We are excited to continue to grow our partnership with Tesla and play an integral role in building a nationwide EV network to allow for the growth of zero emission vehicles," Tom Ruszin, fuel and environment leader for Royal Farms. "We see EV charging as a fantastic complimentary use to our beverage and prepared food offerings."
The latest Telsa Super Charger at the Gaithersburg c-store is supported by the Telsa Owners Club of Maryland (TOC-MD).
"Tesla Owners Club of Maryland is happy that Royal Farms is embracing the 'fuel' of the future to help us transition to sustainable transportation! Your freshly prepared foods and excellent facilities welcome our drivers whether they're on a long road trip or just putting on a little more range to get them back home. Thanks for being part of the journey," said TOC-MD President JD Taylor.
In addition to the Tesla charging network, Royal Farms has also finalized agreements with two leading EV charging network providers to upgrade existing chargers at 22 non-Tesla locations in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Through these partnerships Royal Farms will not only replace the existing chargers, but also expand charging capacity at many of these locations. The existing charging network has an average of 20 to 25 minutes for an 80 percent charge.
As the Royal Farms footprint continues to grow, the company assesses opportunities to include EV charging as part of their new store development.
Founded in 1959 under the name White Jug, Royal Farms operates neighborhood convenience stores in more than 272 locations throughout Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and West Virginia.