(New York) U.S. retail giant Walmart plans to install “thousands” of electric vehicle fast-charging stations at its U.S. store locations by 2030, according to a statement on Thursday, which will contribute to strengthening the already growing network of terminals.

The Bentonville (Arkansas) company already indicates that it has nearly 1,300 stations, spread over 280 sites.

The new terminals will be adjacent to Walmart or Sam’s Club supermarkets, the group’s semi-wholesale brand. Walmart says it has stores within 12 miles of 90% of Americans.

Walmart has just over 5,300 outlets in the United States.

The distributor does not hide that the initiative aims in particular to retain its customers and to increase the frequentation of its stores. “While they (put their vehicle to charge), customers will be able to pick up their groceries or grab a bite to eat” on site, the statement said.

“Easy access to charging stations is a decisive aspect for motorists who hesitate to buy an electric vehicle for fear of not finding a station in a clean and safe place,” explains the company.

According to the White House, there are three million electric vehicles in the United States today and more than 132,000 charging stations in the United States.

The government of President Joe Biden has pledged to have 24,000 additional stations in public locations by the end of the 2023/24 fiscal year.

Electric vehicles accounted for 5.8% of sales by volume in 2022 on the American market, almost double the proportion recorded the previous year (3.2%), according to the specialist firm Cox Automotive.