C-stores are embracing a new fueling technology to gain an edge with today’s modern consumer: retail-focused EV charging stations. These stations are winning customers and building loyalty with highly reliable hardware and retail-integrated experiences, boosting c-stores' omnichannel strategies and expansion into more food-focused, longer dwell time offerings.

It’s been happening under the radar as several big-box retailers and convenience store owners have begun installing Electric Era’s new DC fast chargers in front of their stores to attract new customers, and so far, they’re loving what they find: chargers that have a 92%+ session reliability rate and 96% positive rating on Plugshare.

That’s great news for Quincy Lee, a former SpaceX engineer who founded the company to make EV charging ubiquitous and profitable for fuel retailers and convenience stores, after his own frustrating experiences with unreliable chargers and no connected amenities.

“As an early EV adopter, the car’s mapping system was sending me out to the middle of nowhere to charge my car, and often, when I got there, the charger didn’t even work,” Lee said. “I started Electric Era to solve those two big obstacles by creating an ultra-reliable EV charging system that retailers could use to give drivers a safe place to charge and give them something valuable to do with the time they were charging.”

Rather than the amenity being an afterthought, what if you started with the retail value? EV chargers are a great opportunity for c-store retailers to expand their omnichannel strategies, gain an edge in the crowded marketplace, and further their appeal to a valuable and growing customer segment.

At this year’s NACS Show in Chicago, Lee will be unveiling his company’s next generation of EV fast charging systems designed specifically for convenience store operators that further leverages the company’s retail proximity. It improves the customer experience through an AI-enabled user interface, a sleek, modern new kiosk that shows an innovative and connected retail experience, and new functionality that further integrates with customer loyalty programs and extends the retail shopping experience to the parking lot.

Built for Retail, Backed by Technology

EV drivers typically spend 15-30 minutes charging. That dwell time is a high-value opportunity – if your charging setup actually brings customers to the door and supports a smooth in-store experience.

Electric Era’s new platform is built around this insight. It combines:

• Sleek new look and feel designed to be in retail forecourts
• Retail integration tools to help drive in-store conversion and brand loyalty
• High-speed charging up to 400kW per port, aligned to c-store dwell time
• Battery-backed system with smart energy management to lower energy costs, mitigate demand charges, and protect against grid constraints
• Predictive software that manages energy usage, self-heals, and ensures high uptime

Together, these features make it easier for retailers to turn chargers into customer magnets that attract EV drivers back to your site and inside your store again and again.

Results From the Field

Retailers already using Electric Era’s current-generation systems are seeing real impact:

• Install timelines measured in weeks or months, not years (even as fast as 54 days)
• Lower total cost of ownership versus non-battery backed systems
• Increased in-store activity from EV customers during charge sessions
• Scalable deployment across diverse locations and grid conditions

The next-gen platform—set to debut at NACS—takes these advantages even further. It adds deeper integration with store operations, a sleek and streamlined look and feel, and AI to deliver more delightful experiences that drive higher in-store sales and more customer loyalty.

Ready for What’s Next

As EV adoption accelerates, retailers face a strategic choice: lease parking spaces to third-party charging networks and collect a small fee, or use charging as a retail growth engine that extends revenue opportunities into the parking lot.

Electric Era makes the case for the latter. With a proven retail-first model, U.S.-based manufacturing, and a technology stack designed to serve retailers, the company is helping c-stores evolve to future-ready convenience hubs.

Visit Electric Era at NACS 2025 Booth S3914 to see the next-generation platform in action.

Learn more at electricera.tech