Stewart’s Shops is adding electric car battery charging stations across many of its stores.
The company broke ground on its first NYPA EVolve Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Station on July 1 in Schodack.
Officials said the chargers are powerful enough to provide a full charge to a electric vehicle in just 15 to 30 minutes.
The DC fast chargers have three kinds of plugs to make sure an electric vehicle of choice can stop in and get a charge on the go. EVolve New York’s chargers are available to all non-Tesla electric vehicles.
Officials said some charging stations will have a Tesla adapter.
Stewart’s Shops currently has three Tesla supercharging stations throughout New York with plans to expand the program by installing two more by the end of 2021.
The Stewart’s Shops charging station in Schodack will be fully operational by September and is just one of five EV charging stations that Stewart’s Shops plans to open by the end of the year.
The Schodack EV charging station is an extension of Stewart’s Shops current EV Charging program. As part of NYPA’s EVolve New York Clean Energy Initiative, they plan for other charging stations at Stewart’s Shops locations throughout New York state in Moreau, Latham, Keene and Clifton Park.
Officials said the new charging stations are not the only steps Stewart’s Shops is taking to become more sustainable. The company uses solar energy at offsite locations in Halfmoon and Castle Creek and the manufacturing plant has 2,400 individual solar panels on the rooftop that offset 75 percent of the power at 50 locations.
Stewart’s Shops recycles over six tons of cardboard daily and reuses items like totes, dairy cases, ice cream baskets, and bread trays used to make deliveries to reduce waste. In stores, customers can get a discount on their coffee when they use their reusable mugs and the stores also offer reusable bags at all locations. All shops are equipped with LED lighting and offer plant-based straws as well.
The partnership with Evolve NY is just one of the ways Stewart’s Shops is attaining a more sustainable future, the company said.