For many retailers, charging deficiencies present an opportunity: 

 and people on long-distance trips rely on public chargers, as do the 5 percent of E.V. owners 

, many of whom live in apartment buildings and park on the street. The most frequently used public chargers are at retailers, according to a 2024 study of usage data by J.D. Power, a data analytics company.

For many retailers, charging deficiencies present an opportunity: Truckers, ride-hailing drivers and people on long-distance trips rely on public chargers, as do the 5 percent of E.V. owners who are not able to charge at home, many of whom live in apartment buildings and park on the street. 

For Decades, Installing E.V. Chargers Didn’t Pay Off for Retailers. Now It Does.