Meijer Store First To Receive New Technology That Allows Customer To Charge Electric Vehicle For Free

Meijer's senior vice president of properties and real estate Julie Croll announced today that they will install electric vehicle charging stations at a handful of its Michigan stores. Meijer is one of the largest private companies in the USA, started as a supermarket chain, and is now classified as a Hypermarket (combination supermarket and department store.) "This is a very exciting step for Meijer as we continue to look for ways to expand our sustainability initiatives," said Croll.

Croll continued, "The key to our success through the years has been innovation, and we look at sustainability the same way. Whether we are providing our customers with re-usable bags, placing rooftop wind turbines on stores or offering charging stations for the electric vehicles, we are committed to searching for innovative ways to be green." The first station is already up at the Meijer store in Warren, Michigan, and more are on the way. Each store will initially have two charging stations installed, free for any customer to use.

Each of these stations meets SAE J1772 standards adopted by automakers, the stations having been made by Coulomb Technologies in Campbell, CA. Each station will provides 120V and 240V options for whichever car you've got to plug in. Meijer plans on adding charging stations to 10-20 more stores during the 2011 year.

[Via PRNewsWire ]