Another Reason Why EV Charging Beats Gas: No Cross Drops

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The longtime US convenience store and gas retailer Circle K has been planting new EV charging stations into its sprawling, 20-nation network, including here in the US. Saving the planet from car exhaust is not the only reason. Electrification is a bottom line benefit for retailers. It buffers the motorist-serving industry from headaches resulting from liquid fuel delivery interruptions, while reducing the risk of damage claims from the dreaded fuel “cross drop.”

Circle K & EV Charging In The US

Circle K began life as an iconic US brand of the 1950s, later to be transformed into a global presence after the Canadian firm Alimentation Couche-Tard entered the timeline in 2003. The company has been introducing public EV chargers to its roster, taking advantage of its convenience store amenities and its own Circle K charging app.

Here in the US, several years ago Circle K also nailed down a federal EV charging award from the newly established NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) program, funded though a carve-out from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

One highlight of Circle K’s electrification efforts occurred in 2023 when the company installed a DC fast charging station at one of its stores in Wytheville, Virginia. The installation marked the first use of domestically manufactured DC fast chargers produced by ABB E-mobility at its new factory in South Carolina.

Last year Circle K also won accolades for installing the first EV fast charging station in Kentucky to be funded through the NEVI program. “The station, conveniently located at a centralized Circle K in Richmond, will help the Bluegrass State become a leader in building out reliable EV charging infrastructure and stay on track with its ambitious goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050,” enthused the US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation in a press release marking the occasion.

Trump Or No Trump, More EV Chargers For The USA

Much has changed since last year. The malevolently incompetent Commander-in-Chief who currently occupies the White House summarily suspended the NEVI program in February, shortly after taking office. Tax credits for EVs and related technology are next on the chopping block.

Meanwhile, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation is a shell of its former self. The first-of-its kind electrification collaboration between the Energy Department and the Transportation Department, which helped coordinate the NEVI program, was “caught in the crossfire” of the Trump-Musk chainsaw. Its website is still active as of this writing, but its full time staff of 50 reportedly evaporated by the end of April.

Despite the White House buzz saw, though, EV charging stakeholders all over the US are moving forward with new charging infrastructure, including amenity-packed, lounge-type charging facilities, cost-cutting battery-integrated chargers, new fleet charging systems, and no-hassle charging solutions for multi-household residences, too.

What Is Cooking Over At Circle K?

On its part, Circle K has not made a major announcement about its EV charging plans for the US since 2022, when issued the 200-port pledge. That’s a drop in the bucket, as Circle K currently has thousands of US locations.

Another seemingly backwards step occurred last fall, when Couche-Tard promoted its former SVP of Global Fuels, Louise Warner, to the role of EVP of North American Operations and global commercial optimization, too. Warner came to Couche-Tard in 2021 with a long background in the Chevron subsidiary CalTex Australia.

However, appearances can be deceiving. “Fuels” is a loaded word these days, especially in the context of “Global Fuels.”

“One of Warner’s priorities as SVP of fuels was helping deploy Couche-Tard’s electric vehicle charging program in the U.S., which launched four months after she joined the company,” reported the news organization C-Store Dive last fall, further taking note of Couche-Tard’s commitment to “meeting its customers’ “evolving mobility needs” in all markets.

“As SVP of fuels, Warner was on Couche-Tard’s Sustainability Steering Committee, which meets quarterly to discuss the risks and potential impacts of climate change on the business,” C-Store Dive added.

EV Chargers Only At Circle K

In contrast to the pall of quietude settling over Couche-Tard’s charging plans for its US operations, last week the company grabbed the media spotlight when it announced the official opening of a new Circle K location in Sweden. Situated along the E6 route in Gårda, near central Gothenburg, the new location sports exactly zero liquid fuel pumps.

It’s not the first EV-only Circle K location, but Couche-Tard states that it is the biggest one so far. “With ten ultra-fast chargers and a 100 m² (1,076 ft²) convenience store, Gårda is the largest EV charging-only convenience location in Circle K’s global network,” Couche-Tard explained in a press statement.

“Our new location at Gårda marks a significant step in our ambition to win the EV customer – offering easy and convenient charging with a complete retail experience,” enthused the company’s EVP of European Operations and Global eMobility, Hans-Olav Høidahl.

“It’s a safe harbor on the road, and a clear step forward in our ambition to be the preferred on-the-go charging destination across Europe,” Høidahl added.

“Its ten ultra–fast 400 kW chargers power vehicles from zero to 80 percent in about fifteen minutes, while the store – which offers fresh pizza, kebab, and award–winning sausage,” Couche-Tard emphasized for good measure.

No Tesla, No Cross-Drops, No Driver Shortages

If the emphasis on EV fast charging sounds like Circle K is challenging the Tesla Supercharger network in Europe, that’s no accident. “The company’s European network now includes more than 3,000 Circle K branded chargers and continues to grow quickly to meet rising demand,” Couche-Tard noted in its Gårda EV charging announcement, taking an oblique swipe at the falling fortunes of the Tesla brand.

As everyone knows by now, the Tesla brand has become toxic among prospective EV buyers in Europe and elsewhere around the world. Apparently Couche-Tard sees an opening for Circle K to challenge the Tesla-branded Supercharger network as well.

Couche-Tard also emphasized that Circle K will continue to offer gasmobile options among its 17,000 locations worldwide, so don’t get too excited about a couple of all-electric locations here and there. Still, the opening of the Gårda station suggests that going all-in on EV charging can resolve at least two key issues bedeviling global retail businesses like Couche-Tard.

One issue is the risk of cross drops, which is industry-speak for what happens when a fuel truck driver mistakenly pumps a load of fuel into the wrong storage tank. Such mistakes are vanishingly rare but when they do happen, both financial and reputational damage are in store. Earlier this year, for example, Circle K locations in Ohio and Arizona had to deal with the fallout from cross drops, costing drivers thousands in damage repairs when they filled up with diesel instead of gas.

A related issue involves the risk of fuel delivery interruptions. Unlike severe weather events that can interrupt access to public EV charging stations and retail fuel pumps alike, fuel truck delivery shortages are specific to the liquid fuel industry.

One broad concern here in the US is a shortage of qualified truck drivers. The problem surfaced back in 2021 on the heels of the COVID-19 lockdown, when a lack of drivers resulted in a reports of fuel pumps running dry at retail locations around the US.

Additional shortage risks can occur due to accidents or outright malfeasance. A quick search of the Intertubes reveals multiple tanker truck fuel spills resulting from crashes here in the US so far this year. In one particularly egregious incident, a driver is alleged to have deliberately dumped 2,000 gallons of jet fuel along a five-moile stretch of road in Alabama, in an effort to empty the tanker before filling up with a load of gas.

With headaches like these, public EV chargers are looking more and more attractive every day. If you have any thoughts about that, drop a note in the comment thread. Better yet, find your representatives in Congress and let them know what you think.

Image (cropped): The sprawling Circle K convenience store network is building up its EV charging profile in the US and around the world, regardless of the anti-EV fever gripping the White House (courtesy of Couche-Tard).