Electric Era, the specialized leader in retail EV fast charging, has deployed its innovative battery-backed DC chargers at Love’s Travel Stops, setting a new operational benchmark for national fuel chains. The deployment offers a clear path for retailers to overcome the EV industry’s core challenges: high operating costs and unreliable service.
The company’s patented technology delivers two game-changing results for prominent retailers like Love’s:
- It cuts operating costs by up to 70%.
- It guarantees a per-port uptime of more than 98%.
This combination of cost savings and reliability is the foundation of a model that speeds up ROI, allowing some customers to achieve positive returns in under two years from charging revenue alone.
Love’s Secures Funding, Speeds Up ROI
For the national retailer, the charging expert’s technology platform did more than just cut costs; it was a key factor in securing public investment. Electric Era’s start-to-finish project support team has helped customers win 83% of grant applications over the past two years, securing a total of $41 million in incentives.
“With federal NEVI funding restored, available state and federal funding programs can cover up to half of charger deployment costs,” the company’s statement noted. Furthermore, the brand’s customer-branded chargers offer retail program integration, converting EV charging sessions into a driver for non-fuel and in-store sales.
New Station a Landmark for Colorado Travelers
Love’s Travel Stops recently launched its new Electric Era station in Buena Vista, Colorado. Located along U.S. Highway 24, the site provides a vital rural connector between Denver and Colorado Springs.
This new location marks Love’s 38th EV charging site and contributes to its network of over 150 chargers across 15 states. The new facility enhances the customer experience by offering weather-protective canopies, food and beverage options, and Love’s in-store Mobile-to-Go Zone electronics retail.
Love’s Vice President of Alternative Energy, Ryan Erickson, affirmed the strategic value. “As part of our commitment to sustainability, we’re proud to bring this location online as we continue to bring more clean energy solutions to communities across Colorado. This new location offers a seamless charging experience for travelers with weather protective canopies, and a variety of fresh food options and clean restrooms.”
The retailer successfully obtained grant funding from the Colorado Energy Office Direct Current Fast-Charging Plazas program, which pools federal NEVI and state funds to deploy public DC fast-charging in underserved regions.
Strategic Partnership Drives Long-Term Profit
The new four-stall, 200 kW station features the Love’s signature red and yellow branding. Critically, it supports both CCS1 (Combined Charging System) and the NACS (North American Charging Standard) cable standards, future-proofing the investment.
While lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) initially drove the decision, the long-term upside sealed the deal.
Brittany Kaplan, Senior Manager of Enterprise Sales at the charging solutions provider, explained how the engagement evolved. “We work with a lot of customers who come to us… strictly looking at the cap-ex and op-ex in relation to the revenue from selling electrons, which is where we started at with Love’s.”
She concluded, “The best part of this engagement was helping Love’s build a broader marketing and loyalty program that accelerates their revenue past break even, and sets them up to generate stronger returns for the long haul.”
The SpaceX Mindset: Engineering Away Complexity
Electric Era founder Quincy Lee, a former SpaceX engineer, built the business on first principles to tear down the complexity hindering the rapid growth of public EV charging. He identified deployment complexity as a major barrier and created an in-house deployment team to manage the entire process and “cut red tape” for their customers.
This expert team—comprising engineers, project managers, government experts, and site selection specialists—navigates permits, regulations, and complex state and federal funding programs.
With $5 billion in NEVI funding prioritizing reliability and rapid deployment at traditional refueling locations, more fuel and convenience retailers are re-evaluating their EV strategy. The charging platform’s alignment with these strict incentive requirements positions it as a key partner for companies ready to future-proof their operations.
