Taco Bell Franchisee Adds Electric Charging Stations To The Menu - Forbes

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Electric vehicle ownership is on the rise, with electric vehicle registrations in the U.S. reported to have shot up by 60 percent in the first quarter of 2022. The Pew Research Center reports that those most inclined to consider an electric vehicle purchase in the future include younger adults, urban dwellers, Democrats and those who already own a hybrid or all-electric vehicle, with a 55% majority of adults in the age 18 to 29 bracket saying that they are very or somewhat likely to consider an electric vehicle the next time they buy a vehicle.

And that demographic is exactly the target audience of fast food brand Taco Bell, who recently introduced the first super fast electric vehicle (EV) charging points to the parking lot of one of their South San Francisco franchise locations.

A partnership between fast food brand and EV charging station provider seems to be a perfect match. As more and more electric vehicles appear on our roads, so the demand for on-the-go charging points will soar. And where better to site them than in a place where not only is there unused parking space as an increasing number of fast food customers opt for drive-thru and delivery options rather than dine-in, but also somewhere where the driver and their party can quickly grab a drink and a bite to eat. This most recent three way collaboration between Diversified Restaurant Group, a Taco Bell franchisee operating more than 300 Taco Bell locations, Australian-based global charger manufacturer Tritium and ChargeNet the EV fast-charging and software company, allows Taco Bell customers to secure a 100 mile charge in 20 minutes for less than $20 whilst enjoying a quick pit stop for a chalupa or burrito. The initial San Francisco launch, which saw its first charging point customers plug in during October, is the first of 100 Californian Taco Bell "electrifications" planned over the course of the next year.

Why California for this new initiative? In August 2022, the California Air Resources Board announced that it would require all new vehicles sold in California by 2035 to be electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. And so with gasoline-only car sales set to be squeezed out of the state altogether over the next decade or so, it makes sense for the state to be the first to see this partnership roll-out. ChargeNet has already confirmed that it is looking to carve out a niche in siting its charging points within fast-food locations, with CEO Tosh Dutt highlighting the high consumer footfall and the ease of access to the sites which are usually located along major routes and highways, but also often in areas where at-home charging points are less prevalent, as the main reasons for taking this direction.

"We are committed to catalyzing the EV revolution to ensure it spans across all demographics" says Dutt. "This is why we are working with quick-serve restaurants, where an estimated 120 million Americans eat every day. About half of our locations are in marginalized communities across California, providing charging access to people who may not have the luxury of a home charging station. We are out to democratize EV charging across California and beyond"

This partnership between the Mexican-style food franchise brand and an EV charging tech company is not the first of its kind. Earlier this year Tim Hortons added TurnOnGreen's Level 3 electric vehicle chargers to a small number of its Canadian locations, a move that had been delayed for a couple of years due to the pandemic. The coffee and donut brand had actually long been a pioneer of harnessing the power of EV technology, piloting charging stations at locations in Ontario and British Columbia as far back as 2013. Starbucks has recently teamed up with ChargePoint and Volvo to install up to 60 Volvo-branded charging points across 15 of its locations. And here in the UK, Costa Coffee is partnering with InstaVolt to introduce rapid charging points to a number of its drive-thru locations.

The partnership between Taco Bell, Tritium and ChargeNet accesses funding from the California Energy Commission’s California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) and the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP). With sustainability high on the agenda as we move into 2023, a collaboration which is energy efficient, gives increased accessibility to fast EV charging points and offers drivers an opportunity to refuel with food and drinks looks to be a big win-win for all concerned.

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Taco Bell Franchisee Adds Electric Charging Stations To The Menu - Forbes
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