Iconic convenience store and gas station chain 7-Eleven is lining up to help electrify daily transport. The brand plans to vastly increase the number of EV chargers it currently operates. How much? Right around %2,200 according to MotorTrend. It’s a big step in helping consumers feel better about electric vehicle ownership, and hopefully, the start of some real variety and competition in the charging game both here in America and abroad.

Which stores will be adding EV chargers?

Undoubtedly, %2200 is a hard number to get one’s head around, especially if math was a struggle in grade school. It’s best to look at the increase in terms of stores. At this moment, 7-Eleven owns 14 stores across four states. Across those stores in their respective states, there are 22 chargers. In other words, almost nothing. The local mall has more Teslas in the parking lot than 7-Eleven does charging stations.

With the increase of charging infrastructure, the American brand looks to have around 500 chargers at 250 or more stores by the end of 2022. A shocking increase indeed. Puns aside, this is good news. One of the most major reasons keeping consumers from EVs is range anxiety, and any and all steps should be taken to mitigate this.

Helping to electrify the globe

This massive leap forward will hopefully make charging away from home all the more painless. The move will also have some unforeseen economic benefits too. Time for a quick lesson on supply and demand. If the supply of commodity increases, demand comes down, and the opposite is true. Right now, EV charging can be a little pricey in some places.

With the introduction of more chargers into the marketplace, charging companies will have to be more competitive in every way. This can mean anything from pricing to other customer features and perks. Presently, it costs about $0.30 a minute to make use of chargers at 7-Eleven. With any luck, more chargers will see prices come down.

How much longer will consumers have range anxiety?

Circling back to the topic of range anxiety: it’s a very easy thing to understand. EV chargers aren’t everywhere like gas stations are, nor are they as cheap or quick. However, all that is changing, and rather quickly. With any luck, it’ll soon be feasible to plan a simple road trip without having to alter your route to accommodate your EV. The road trip is an American pastime, given the size of the country; so it would be great to see some more charging availability in more remote areas.

Moreover, an increase in available chargers will hopefully lead to something everyone hopes for: a standard plug for electric vehicle charging. At the moment, numerous brands use different sockets, just as outlets are different in London than from outlets in New York. No matter what, more chargers are better for everyone.