Circle K owner Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is taking its
electric car strategy to North America after learning from consumer
habits in northern Europe. The Laval, Quebec-based convenience
store giant will add charging stations at locations on the west
coast of the United States and Canada and in its home province, CEO
Brian Hannasch said in an interview Wednesday. Longer term, the
company wants to expand into at-home vehicle charging in North
America, as it's doing in Norway. "We'll have chargers
deploying in the next 12 months in Canada and in the U.S.,"
said Hannasch, whose company has outlets in 48 of the 50 states.
"Our goal will be to follow the path we're on in
Norway."
The company, which counts more than 14,350 locations worldwide,
has been experimenting with chargers and stations for years in the
Scandinavian nation, where subsidies for electric cars helped speed
up their adoption.
