LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EVgo Inc. (NASDAQ: EVGO), the nation’s largest public fast charging network for electric vehicles (EVs) and first powered by 100% renewable electricity, today announced an expansion to their EVgo Advantage™ program in partnership with The Save Mart Companies, California’s largest regional, family-owned grocer operating in more than 200 stores throughout California and Northern Nevada. The EVgo Advantage platform enables drivers to use promotions delivered from EVgo after a charging session is started at one of the Save Mart, Lucky California, or FoodMaxx locations. Since the program began in 2019, EVgo has been running promotions at five Lucky/Lucky California locations and will now add seven additional Lucky California and Save Mart stores to the program. EVgo Advantage helps retailers capture increased traffic from EV charging customers and differentiate against nearby retailers while also delivering more value to EV drivers who shop while they charge.
As retailers continue to look for new ways to bring customers into their brick-and-mortar stores, the EVgo Advantage platform enables retailers to connect with the EV driver segment and also provide loyalty building promotions to shop while they charge. EVgo’s Advantage is the company’s proprietary technology that enables EVgo to deliver promotions to drivers via text, email, and mobile app to incentivize shopping and increase incremental foot traffic for its retail site hosts. This industry-leading approach enhances the EV driver experience, encourages customer loyalty, and helps EVgo charging site hosts to attract more business.
EVgo conducted a survey and found that 80% of EV drivers shop while they charge their vehicles -- and 45% of those EVgo charging sessions resulted in new incremental shopping visits.
“Many of our customers are transitioning to electric vehicles and the expansion of the EVgo Advantage program is a natural next step for The Save Mart Companies,” said Hal Levitt, senior vice president, retail operations and supply chain. “Over the last three years, our customers have charged more than 5 million minutes on EVgo chargers at our stores, and we look forward to adding these additional convenient charging stations to drive greater benefits for our customers and continue our ongoing commitments to sustainability initiatives.”
“EVgo sites our chargers where drivers want to be, and where better to charge than at a grocery store with a coupon for your weekly shop,” said Cathy Zoi, CEO at EVgo. “Research shows that consumers are drawn to promotions, and we are pleased to offer an additional way to drive customer loyalty to our site host partners through EVgo Advantage. We are thrilled to expand our partnership and add more locations to the Advantage program at Save Mart stores, and ultimately provide greater access to sustainable energy solutions for the communities they serve.”
The Save Mart Companies is invested in the success and well-being of its customers and communities it serves. The company is dedicated to exploring efficient and convenient programs that enable their shoppers to have an enjoyable shopping experience. The Save Mart Companies began partnering with EVgo in 2015, installing the first and largest publicly available, multi-standard fast charging site in the nation at the time at the Lucky store in Fremont, California. The company has continued their commitment to the environment, and now has 32 EVgo fast chargers installed and two L2 chargers since that first fast-charging station was installed.
For more information around the locations of fast charger’s within EVgo’s charging network, visit www.evgo.com.
About EVgo
EVgo (Nasdaq: EVGO) is the nation’s largest public fast charging network for electric vehicles, and the first to be powered by 100% renewable energy. With more than 800 fast charging locations, EVgo’s owned and operated charging network serves over 68 metropolitan areas across 35 states and more than 310,000 customer accounts. Founded in 2010, EVgo leads the way on transportation electrification, partnering with automakers; fleet and rideshare operators; retail hosts such as hotels, shopping centers, gas stations and parking lot operators; and other stakeholders to deploy advanced charging technology to expand network availability and make it easier for drivers across the U.S. to enjoy the benefits of driving an EV. As a charging technology first mover, EVgo works closely with business and government leaders to accelerate the ubiquitous adoption of EVs by providing a reliable and convenient charging experience close to where drivers live, work and play, whether for a daily commute or a commercial fleet.
About The Save Mart Companies
Based in the heart of the Central Valley, The Save Mart Companies is committed to sourcing a wide variety of local products and serves communities throughout California and Northern Nevada. The company operates more than 200 stores under the banners of Save Mart, Lucky California and FoodMaxx. In addition to its retail operation, the company also operates Smart Refrigerated Transport and is a partner in Super Store Industries (SSI), which owns and operates a distribution center in Lathrop and the Sunnyside Farms dairy processing plant in Turlock. For more information on the company, please visit: www.TheSaveMartCompanies.com.
