First EV Chargers Installed At Large Restaurant Chain

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If you have been following the EV charging market in the US, you know there has been great progress made in the last year or so. Despite the Trump administration trying to stop the growth of electric vehicles in the US, more and more public EV chargers have been installed. Some of them are from federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding, but many are also being installed based on private sector funding. 

Retailers such as Walmart, Kroger, Shoprite, Wawa, Buc-ee’s, and Love’s have installed more public EV chargers this year or announced plans to do so.

The restaurant chain Bojangles recently installed its first EV chargers at one of its restaurants and reportedly will expand EV charging at all or many of them. In fact, Bojangles has about 800 restaurants in 23 states, so the chain could have many more EV chargers for its customers coming soon.

“Driving trends are changing, and so are the expectations that come with them. With EV charging, time becomes an asset. We’re turning that stop into something meaningful: a chance to relax, refuel and enjoy a true Bojangles experience. This is about more than charging vehicles, it’s about redefining the stop along the way,” said Richard Del Valle, Chief Information Officer at Bojangles. 

The restaurant chain’s first EV charging station is located at one of its eateries in Savannah, Georgia. There are four charging ports, according to this source, which also states the goal is to have at least four for each restaurant location. A mix of Level 2 and Level 3 fast charger ports will be available at the restaurant charging stations. The new Savannah charging station was developed by XLR8 America and Energy and Environmental Design Services. 

“At XLR8 America, our philosophy is simple: charge where you park, not park where you charge. Bojangles gets that. When a driver pulls in for a Bo-Berry Biscuit and their battery tops off while they dine, that’s not a coincidence — that’s the charge-and-dine experience made real. Together, we’re building a national network that makes EV charging effortless and every stop genuinely worth making,” said Frank O’Connor, CEO of XLR8 America.

If there is a primary signal indicating electric vehicle adoption is continuing to expand, it might be the growth of public EV charging infrastructure funded by the private sector because it sees favorable economics there. The tendency is to focus more on EV sales, and yet public EV charger growth is also important for greater EV adoption.