Dive Brief:
- Alimentation Couche-Tard has partnered with electric vehicle charging company Ionna to bring new charging infrastructure to 350 Circle K stores in the U.S., according to a Tuesday announcement.
- The partnership will include converting and upgrading around 85 existing EV charging stations and adding Ionna’s infrastructure to more than 250 additional sites. These sites feature up to 400 kilowatt charging speeds and both North American Charging Standard and Combined Charging System charging ports.
- While the c-store industry has cooled on EV chargers, major retailers like Circle K, Loves Travel Stops & Country Stores and Global Partners are continuing to expand their networks.
Dive Insight:
Ionna will assume operations of EV charging sites across Circle K’s U.S. footprint, according to the announcement. The partnership will also “accelerate new deployment” of chargers, targeting "premium, high-traffic” stores.
“Partnering with IONNA enables us to scale high-power charging quickly at locations drivers already trust,” said Håkon Stiksrud, vice president of global eMobility at Circle K. “This partnership is an important step in preparing for the future.”
The first of these sites, branded as “Rechargeries at Circle K,” will begin serving customers by the end of the year, with the program ramping up throughout 2027, according to the announcement.
While new EV sales have slowed significantly, there are still millions of these vehicles on the road. The longer dwell times for EVs compared to gasoline-powered cars also affords Circle K the opportunity to market its updated foodservice program to these drivers.
Ionna, which was founded by eight major automakers, has also partnered with Casey’s General Stores, Wawa and Sheetz to put Rechargeries on select sites. The EV charging company is aiming to build 30,000 fast charging sites in the U.S. by 2030.
“Circle K’s scale, customer focus, and quality of location make them an ideal partner as we rapidly expand high-power charging where drivers already want to stop,” said Aaron Wolff, COO of Ionna.
