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Kroger announces the installation of 350 EV chargers in ten U.S. states

Credit: Kroger | Virginia Retail

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The Kroger Co. has announced it will increase the number of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations at its retail locations, “underscoring its commitment to helping customers make sustainable choices.”

Kroger will install Blink, Electrify America, EVgo, Tesla, and Volta EV charging stations for drivers to utilize. Its goal is to produce hundreds of charging stations for stores in various markets across the United States. 

Over 350 chargers have been installed at the Kroger stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. There will be several more expected before the end of the year. Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, and Virginia are among the states that will host future installations. 

Yael Cosset, a Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Kroger, wants to transition to a lower-carbon economy by increasing its charging stations. 

“Increasing our customers’ access to EV charging stations at convenient Kroger locations supports our collective transition to a lower-carbon economy,” Cosset said. “We are leveraging technology and innovation to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and are offering customers easy ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle.”

Many direct-current (DC) fast chargers are compatible with most automobiles, allowing for a wide choice of charging options. Charging sessions can last as little as ten minutes, with typical sessions lasting around 30 minutes per vehicle, Kroger said.

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According to the growing EV market share data in the United States, consumers are leaning towards purchasing EVs, so there has been an increase in EV charging stations. On June 9, the Biden Administration proposed new guidelines for a nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations. It was the most recent step forward in the Biden Administration’s push to encourage more Americans to switch to electric vehicles.

Now that Kroger is in partnership with Volta, this now creates digital opportunities for America’s largest grocery retailer. “Volta continues to accelerate the switch to electric transportation by making charging as convenient, accessible, and affordable as possible. At the same time, we are unlocking new economic opportunities for brands and retailers — proving businesses can thrive while building a sustainable future that benefits us all,” said Brandt Hastings, Chief Commercial Officer at Volta. “We look forward to working with Kroger to create new customer experiences and bring critical EV infrastructure to communities nationwide.” 

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at christine@teslarati.comYou can also reach me on Twitter @Christi86567288, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk commends Tesla team on successful Robotaxi launch

Tesla CEO Elon Musk commended the company on the successful launch of Robotaxi.

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NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Tesla CEO Elon Musk commented on the company’s launch of the Robotaxi platform, which officially went live to a small group on Sunday in Austin, Texas.

It is the first time Tesla has offered driverless rides through the ride-hailing platform it has worked to activate for several years, and it was overwhelmingly successful based on early reviews.

The launch was coupled with the release of the first-ever looks at the Tesla Robotaxi app, which does more than allow riders to summon vehicles for transportation. It also allows the rider to adjust climate settings in the car before it arrives for a comfortable ride, and it will sync entertainment and streaming settings to keep occupants entertained.

Tesla Robotaxi riders tout ‘smooth’ experience in first reviews of driverless service launch

The first rides are being performed with a safety monitor in the passenger’s seat. These monitors have no control over the vehicle, and are there just to ensure smooth operation.

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The first reviews called rides “smooth” and “comfortable,” and commended Tesla for its hard work over the past few years to make this happen. Many were impressed with the cars’ ability to keep pedestrians safe, avoid congested parking lots, and the efficiency of the rides, as the time from the ride request to the Robotaxi accepting the ride was extremely fast.

Musk has been at the forefront of this operation for a decade, as Tesla has been working to release a version of the Robotaxi through the development of Full Self-Driving. This has been an effort that included seeking top-tier engineering talent and taking incredible leaps of faith, including switching to a Vision-only approach for Full Self-Driving.

Musk commended the Tesla team for its hard work:

It’s truly an incredible accomplishment, as many considered Robotaxi a “failure” despite it not even being rolled out. In May, we reported on media outlets calling the Robotaxi rollout a total failure, despite Tesla always maintaining the launch would happen in June:

Tesla Robotaxi deemed a total failure by media — even though it hasn’t been released

Hundreds of rides have already been taken, and there have not been many complaints. It’s an incredible jump forward for Tesla.

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Elon Musk

Tesla Robotaxi riders tout ‘smooth’ experience in first reviews of driverless service launch

The first reviews of Tesla Robotaxi are in, and those riders are impressed and astounded with the smooth and comfortable nature of the service.

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla Robotaxi riders are touting their awesome experiences in their first rides using the automaker’s new driverless ride-hailing service, which launched to a limited number of people yesterday for the first time.

On Sunday, Tesla officially launched Robotaxi, its driverless ride-hailing service, in downtown Austin. A select group of people were chosen to receive early access to the program, as well as the new Robotaxi app, which is used to request a ride and will sync everything from climate preferences to streaming settings with each pickup.

Tesla officially launches Robotaxi service with no driver

Teslarati gained access to the Early Access riders program and the Robotaxi app, giving us a first-hand look at the experience. We will be in Austin soon to test out the Robotaxi fleet for ourselves.

However, those who were there for the initial rides on Sunday had nothing but great things to say. Hundreds of rides were taken during the first hours of the Robotaxi program, and neither the company nor the riders reported any issues.

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Here’s what people said about their experiences:

  • “Extremely smooth stops,” and great awareness of road conditions, including pedestrians, speed bumps, and busy parking lots, were all handled with ease:

  • Safe navigation around pedestrians who walked just off the sidewalk into the road:

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  • “Just as good as it is during the daytime” at night. There were no changes to report by riders who took rides during the day and evening:

  • Avoided expensive and stressful parking at local tourist hotspots like Terry Black’s Barbeque:

  • “Comfortable and similar to existing Tesla cars with FSD,” intuitive and “surreal” experience:

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  • The app is quicker than other ride-sharing services. When a destination is chosen, Robotaxi is already on the way to your location:

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Tesla Robotaxi rollout proves that Elon Musk still delivers, even if it’s late

Tesla is also still the company that makes the impossible feel late.

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Credit: Tesla

It took a long time, but Tesla has finally successfully rolled out its dedicated Robotaxi service in Austin this weekend. The initial rollout only involved a small fleet of cars operating in a small geofenced area in Texas, but it is still significant. 

It does, if any, prove that Elon Musk is still capable of delivering on his promises, even if they are late. Tesla is also still the company that makes the impossible feel late.

Finally, a Rollout

Elon Musk has been predicting a Robotaxi rollout for years, so much so that even avid Tesla supporters have grown quite wary of his constant predictions. After a while, Elon Musk himself admitted that he has become the boy who cried FSD, though he still maintained that self-driving was really just around the corner.

This past weekend, Musk’s predictions finally came true. Actual paying customers used Tesla’s dedicated Robotaxi service for a small flat fee of $4.20 per ride. Elon Musk seemed quite happy with the Robotaxi’s initial launch, as evidenced by his congratulatory message to the Tesla AI team on X.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1936876178356490546
https://twitter.com/aelluswamy/status/1936865682810946035

No More Tesla Vision Debates

One thing that is evident in Tesla’s initial Robotaxi rollout in Austin was the fact that the debate surrounding Tesla’s vision-only approach is completely gone now. With actual Robotaxis operating around Austin, there are no more questions about whether cars can navigate city streets on their own using only AI and cameras. They can, and safely too, at least based on Tesla’s initial fleet of Robotaxis.

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https://twitter.com/ItsKimJava/status/1936927640268484909
https://twitter.com/SawyerMerritt/status/1936997202880081950

The Beauty of Normalcy

The Robotaxi rides from Tesla owners who were fortunate enough to experience the first driverless rides from the EV maker’s fleet were quite uneventful. Comments on social media platforms such as X observed that the Robotaxis operated safely and cautiously, and their driving was actually smoother than some human drivers. 

That may not sound very exciting at all, but that’s the beauty of it. Tesla’s Robotaxi service is designed to look and feel natural to people. And so far, it appears that Tesla is accomplishing this with its Robotaxi rollout.

https://twitter.com/DrKnowItAll16/status/1936992009685700663
https://twitter.com/DirtyTesLa/status/1936999390100496443
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