Giant Fleet

Walmart has quietly become a real player in American EV charging. On August 21, the retail giant announced that its company-owned, company-operated fast-charging network has reached 100 stores across 20 states — with the milestone site energized at a Supercenter in Monument, Colorado. It’s a fraction of what’s coming: Walmart says it intends to bring charging to thousands of Walmart and Sam’s Club locations by 2030.

What Walmart actually built

Unlike the branded chargers that have dotted some Walmart parking lots for years under a partnership with Electrify America, this network belongs to Walmart itself. The stations deliver up to 400 kW — among the fastest charging rates available in the US today — and most sites have between 8 and 16 stalls. Crucially, every location serves both connector standards: the Monument site, for example, pairs four CCS1 plugs with four NACS plugs, so nearly any EV on the road can pull in, from a Ford Mustang Mach-E to a Tesla Model Y.

The hardware comes from two established suppliers: ABB E-mobility’s A400 and Alpitronic’s HYC400 units. The speeds are real, too — in one test at the network’s chargers, a GMC Hummer EV climbed from 1% to 53% state of charge in 27 minutes, sustaining over 300 kW.

The software is the quiet advantage

Walmart built its charging software in-house through Walmart Global Tech and folded it directly into the main Walmart mobile app — the same one customers already use for shopping, with payment credentials already on file. Drivers can find stations, start sessions, and pay without downloading yet another charging app, and Walmart+ subscribers get discounted rates on top. Charger locations and availability also surface in Apple Maps and Google Maps.

"When a customer pulls into a Walmart to charge, we want the experience to feel as reliable and effortless as the rest of their shopping trip," said Adam Happel, general manager of Walmart’s retail EV charging business. Shayne Wahlmeier, senior vice president of Walmart Energy, called the 100-site mark proof the company can keep scaling access.

Location is the whole game

Walmart’s structural advantage is hard to overstate. The company operates more than 5,200 stores and clubs in the US, and roughly 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of one. That footprint solves the two problems that plague standalone charging stops: there’s always something to do during a 20–30 minute session, and the sites sit on well-lit, well-trafficked real estate people already visit. Walmart says it is deliberately targeting markets where fast charging remains scarce, working with local utilities on grid connections.

What it means

The charging conversation in the US has been dominated by Tesla’s Supercharger network, Electrify America, and startups like IONNA and EVgo. Walmart entering as an owner-operator changes the math. A retailer with 5,200 potential sites, in-house software, an existing payment relationship with most American households, and a membership program to bundle discounts into doesn’t need charging to be a profit center on day one — it needs charging to bring shoppers through the door. If Walmart follows through on even half its 2030 ambition, it would rank among the largest fast-charging networks in the country, and rural and suburban charging deserts — exactly where Walmart stores cluster — would shrink fast. One hundred stores is a milestone; the next thousand are the story.

Sources: Electrek, Chain Store Age