Install an EV charger--good for business?

It was another typical Saturday for me--drive to swimming and return home. The roundtrip ride takes almost the entire charge on my Nissan 2012 Leaf, Electra, usually arriving home with less than five miles to spare. But today, I wanted to charge up Electra so I could do a little bit extra while I was out. Whereas last week I jolted up at the local library while my daughter swam, today I wanted to see my other options.

Here was the challenge: the reason I wanted to extend my range was to go to the local Whole Foods store, which is just out of range if I combine swimming with the trip. But the Whole Foods, shame on them, doesn't have an EV charger. If I wanted to go to Whole Foods after swimming, I'd need to extend my range by fifteen miles. After searching Carwings, I discovered that the Publix near the pool sponsored an electric vehicle charger. Great, I could fix up a few basics and grab a few miles.

I dropped my daughter at the pool and headed to Publix, a Florida-based grocery store which is the darling of the grocery business. Publix cooks and cans their own organic line of food called Greenwise, which often sits next to the non-organic foods on the shelves. In my local Publix out in the 'burbs, the Greenwise foods intermingle with the regular foods, so it doesn't appear as though the Greenwise line is extensive. Well, Carwings directed me to a Publix-owned, free-standing Greenwise store in south Tampa. Who knew?

Humm. Let's put this in perspective. The reason I ended up at Publix Greenwise was to get a charge so I could go to its competitor, Whole Foods. The reason I needed to go to Whole Foods was because my local Publix doesn't carry Tofurkey nor soy-based yogurts. Maybe Publix's Greenwise would?

I plugged Electra in and entered the store. It was a Whole Foods copy-cat with a bit of Publix blended in. I found my Tofurkey, my yogurt, an entire gluten-free aisle for my husband, and plenty of non-organic items as well. Not only did I spend $100, but I was able to purchase everything I needed on my list without going to Whole Foods. Fantastic!

I asked for the manager. She gladly came over for a chat, and I told her the reason I came to her store--the charger--and how she just added $100 to her cash drawer for the day. I also stated that Whole Foods did not get the income, which made her smile instantly. Now, I'm not here to advocate Publix over Whole Foods, organic over non, tofu over turkey, but I am here to advocate for EV chargers.

I have no idea how much the EV charger costs Publix, but I do know they pocketed $100 of my money plus they kept me from visiting their competitor today. That sounds like a sound business decision to me. And, I'll go back to Greenwise as well. Thanks Publix for the free jolt and the extensive stock. You saved me time, money, and aggravation. Priceless.