In an exclusive interview with State Of Charge‘s Tom Moloughney, Walmart has officially announced that it is going all-in with ultra-fast DC fast-charging EV infrastructure — something that has been on the table since at least 2023. Considering that the company operates more than 5,200 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores in the US, the Walmart EV charging network might be the biggest charging news of 2025.
The decision has been confirmed after years of partnership with third-party charging networks (like Electrify America and EVgo) and in-house testing of various charging layouts and charging equipment. The trigger was the growing adoption of electric cars and the focus on customers, who will be able to recharge while shopping.
Thousands of Locations by 2030
Walmart is the largest retailer in the world and has more than 4,600 stores in the US, plus an additional 600 Sam’s Club locations. That’s a total of over 5,200 potential locations for additional EV charging infrastructure.
The locations themselves are not only high-traffic ones but also already have large parking lots. That’s a big asset when you want to build charging infrastructure.
According to Adam Happel, General Manager for Retail EV Charging at Walmart, the company plans to build thousands of EV charging stations by 2030 — so within just five years. This alone would put Walmart among the largest DC fast-charging networks in the US.
The number of DC fast-charging stalls will vary depending on the location. However, if we assume a few stalls even as the bare minimum, we are talking about the total installation of a five-digit number of charging stalls by 2030.
About 90% of the US population is within 10 miles of a Walmart or Sam’s Club:
Walmart locations in the US. (Source: Walmart)
400-kW Chargers (NACS and CCS1)
Walmart plans to build a proper charging network, own and operate chargers, and offer access through its own Walmart app.
Tom Moloughney visited one of the first sites in McKinney, Texas, where Walmart deployed 400-kW Alpitronic HYC400 chargers. According to the video, the other charger supplier will be ABB.
Currently, each Alpitronic charger has two charging ports — one NACS (SAE J3400) and one CCS1. Walmart will start with a 50/50 distribution between NACS and CCS1 connectors. The mix will gradually shift towards full NACS in the future, as the EV market switches to the new charging standard.
There are no plans to deploy legacy CHAdeMO chargers, much to the chagrin of the many current Nissan Leaf owners.
A DC fast-charging station on the Walmart EV charging network. (Source: State Of Charge)
Access to the Chargers
Charging at the three current Walmart Charging stations is possible using the Walmart app. All one has to do is scan the QR code on a particular charger, select the connector type, and plug in the vehicle. There is not currently a pay-by-credit card option, but there will be in the future, at least in the states that mandate it.
Tom tested one of the chargers with a brand-new GMC Hummer EV. Without any issues, the vehicle was able to get over 300 kW of power and charged from 1% to 53% in 27 minutes, taking in over 100 kWh.
The Walmart EV charging network: the initial three locations. (Source: Walmart)
The first three charging stations are at the following locations:
- Springdale Supercenter in Arkansas (pilot location)
- Cross Roads Supercenter, Texas (pilot location)
- McKinney Supercenter, Texas (1st official location)
Prices at the Walmart EV Charging Network
During Tom’s visit to Texas, the price of charging was $0.42 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which was slightly lower than at other networks in the area at that time.
There is a good chance that Walmart will offer DC fast charging at competitive prices. First, because the brand is value-oriented, and secondly, because it might attract more customers to the stores that way. Happel told Tom that Walmart Plus customers will likely have a special rate for EV charging, as they enjoy discounts on other Walmart goods and services.
The prices will definitely vary depending on the location due to differences in electricity costs. We can also assume that there may be some interesting membership offers.
A Walmart DC fast-charging station. (Source: State Of Charge)
Here’s one more look at the Walmart app screen:
The Walmart charging app. (Source: Walmart)
Station Layouts
Walmart plans to put EV charging stations at a small distance from the front of the stores. This should be attractive and visible, but hopefully not prone to ICEing (blocking by other vehicles).
At least at some stores, there will be pull-through stalls for larger vehicles and vehicles with trailers. Happel told Tom that Walmart will base its decision to include pull-through stalls on a number of factors, including location.
The number of charging stalls is expected to be high enough to prevent long wait times. Because of the huge size of Walmart parking lots, there is also the relatively easy option to expand the stations in line with demand, and Walmart is designing the sites specifically for planned future expansion.
A DC fast-charging station on the Walmart EV charging network. (Source: State Of Charge)
Final Thoughts
Walmart’s charging network is a big deal. The company already has its own locations and enough resources to scale up the expansion. Moreover, there is some synergy between charging and shopping.
Charging at Walmart once every week or two might be a game-changer, particularly for those who live in apartments and cannot charge their EVs at home. We believe the Walmart Charging Network will be utilized more for that use case than for long-distance travelers looking to charge enough to make it to their destination or the next charging stop.
Another advantage Walmart has over its competition is that it has employees at every location to help customers if they have a problem charging. That’s not the case with any other EV charging network because they don’t own the property or operate a business there, as Walmart does. Other networks need to lease parking spaces in the parking lots of existing businesses, wherever they can find a convenient location. When customers encounter an issue, there’s no one there to help them. With the Walmart charging network, a customer will have the opportunity to walk into the store and ask for help from a trained employee.
The biggest question is how well Walmart will execute the rollout. The project is led by Adam Happel, an EV charging veteran who previously worked at EVgo and Rivian. The initial experience with third-party charging networks and a selection of renowned charging equipment manufacturers gives us high hopes for a reliable charging experience at the Walmart EV charging network.
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