Walmart is rapidly expanding into electric-vehicle charging, using its parking lots for fast chargers that may influence where Americans recharge during shopping trips, daily travel, and longer drives.
As Bloomberg reported, even in areas that are decidedly not EV hotbeds like Bentonville, Arkansas, new high-speed charging stations are going up.
What's happening?
Citing U.S. Department of Energy data, the outlet reported that Walmart had added roughly 46 public fast-charging stations, with 380 charging cords, by June 2026.
EV chargers are now installed at about 326 of Walmart's nearly 4,600 U.S. stores, and charging consultancy Paren estimates roughly 300 more stations are being built.
With that expansion, Walmart has overtaken Costco and emerged as one of the country's fastest-growing charging networks.
The retailer spent years hosting charging brands such as Electrify America, but Bloomberg noted that by March 2025, every EV station at Walmart had come under the company's own brand.
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Describing the speed of the rollout, charging consultancy Paren's co-founder Bill Ferro told Bloomberg the retailer was "steamrolling"
"It's the right time to do this, and they've got the right locations," Ferro added.
Why does it matter?
Because Walmart stores reach areas that have long had limited charging choices, especially rural communities and parts of the South, more chargers there could make public charging easier to locate, more affordable, and more useful.
Bloomberg reported that Walmart's charging prices are below the national average and drop further for members of its loyalty program. Limited charging access is still a major obstacle to broader EV adoption, particularly for apartment residents and others who cannot charge at home.
The outlet, citing S&P Global, reported that 7.6 million plug-in vehicles are on U.S. roads, and about 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart.
An expanded public charging network could also help families benefit from EVs' lower fueling and maintenance expenses while cutting tailpipe pollution.
"The fact that Walmart knows the indirect value of having charging at their facility is all the evidence you need to know that there is a real viable business there," Nick Nigro, co-founder of the Washington, D.C.-based climate consultancy Atlas Public Policy, asserted to Bloomberg.
What's being done?
Walmart suggested its massive real estate footprint gives the retailer an edge.
"Our broad footprint positions us to make EV charging more accessible for communities while expanding the way we serve customers," a company spokesperson told Bloomberg.
Paren says Target has 150 high-speed charging stations at its U.S. stores, while Costco has 42. Home Depot and Lowe's combined have 101, per the outlet.
The setup is just smart business. Shiri Levi-Laor of EV charging and energy management software provider Driivz noted to Bloomberg that chargers near stores typically raise sales by 5%.
"It's a double-dip of revenue," Levi-Laor explained to the outlet. "Retailers are not investing in charging to sell electricity; that's not their intention. They are investing because it strengthens their core business."
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