ALEXANDRIA, Va.—NACS has launched an EV charging equipment matchmaking program to facilitate EV charging at convenience stores. The program connects NACS retailer members with EV charging companies of all types to help locate, design and build EV charging infrastructure.

The matchmaking program is designed to accommodate all retailer business models. Whether a retailer simply wants to be a site host and have a third-party company own and operate the EV charging program or wants to own and operate the equipment (or any combination of options), the program can help match retailers with the right companies. The program can be used for existing retail locations, undeveloped property or to partner with a charging company to find optimal real estate to host both retail and EV charging.

“While EV charging demand will not roll out across the U.S. at the same time and in the same way, there are certain markets where retailers need to move now and other markets where the retailer wants to be prepared and get ahead of the coming opportunity,” said Karl Doenges, NACS EV charging infrastructure liaison. “No matter what their situation is, NACS provides retailers with a quick and efficient process to connect with EV charging companies.”

The EV matchmaking portal can only be accessed by NACS members. Once on the portal, retail  members will upload their contact information and provide as much or as little information as they choose about their potential sites. If a retailer doesn’t know which sites are good candidates or wants to collaborate on finding sites, there’s an option for that as well.

Once a retailer provides all the relevant information, they simply need to indicate the business model(s) in which they are interested (site host of third-party program, own and operate within a third-party network or own and operate independently). The last step is to check the box for each company that will receive your information.

A retailer can also contact each vendor individually without working through the portal. However, the chances of follow up by the charging companies are greater with more information provided.

NACS also will soon be launching a program called the EV U-finder, which enables a retailer to find the right EV charging point of contact at the appropriate electric utility by simply entering the zip code for a specific retail site. In addition, the retailer will receive a listing of all funding and utility make-ready programs available for that zip code.

The NACS EV program and topics page has many more valuable resources, including:

• EV charging 101 basics
• NACS EV Charging Calculator, which allows retailers to assess the cost and profitability of offering EV chargers at their sites
• Retail site EV charging future proofing guidance
• Fuels Institute reports that cover all aspects of EV charging equipment, site optimization, regulation and more
• Links to a database of all EV charging sites
• Links to all laws, regulations and incentives
• EV-related news stories
• And more

For more information on how NACS retailer members can enter the EV charging business, contact Karl Doenges at kdoenges@convenience.org.