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Volvo and Starbucks to put charging stations at coffee shops

Volvo and Starbucks are joining forces to give electric vehicle owners a more pleasant charging experience. The two companies have announced a plan to install EV charging stations at Starbucks coffee shops across several U.S. states as part of a pilot program to study the project's scalability. About 60 chargers will be installed at 15 Starbucks locations along a 1,350-mile route between Denver and Seattle, which is home to the coffee giant.  Volvo told Autoblog that the chargers will be a mix of ChargePoint DC chargers comprised of Express 250 units, capable of delivering 62.5 kW, and Express Plus units, capable of delivering up to 350 kW. All chargers will have both CHAdeMO and CCS plugs. Placed about 100 miles apart, the charger-equipped Starbucks fall within the range of most EVs, and their relative proximity should limit the amount of advanced planning one would have to do during an EV road trip. The companies plan to offer them to any drivers of electric cars. Charging fees will apply, but Volvo vehicles will get to use them either free of charge or at a discount. The locations of these chargers will show up in ChargePoint's smartphone app, or with an in-dash app on Google-equipped Volvo models. Jokes about latte-sipping Volvo drivers aside, the program opens a world of new opportunities for charging. A Volvo C40 Recharge takes about 40 minutes to replenish its batteries from 20% to 90%. Other electric cars are comparable. A coffee shop is a much more pleasant place to wait that out than a Kroger or Walmart, and as we discovered last week, EV chargers and businesses like Starbucks are banned from interstate rest areas by federal law. Add the availability of wifi and clean-ish bathrooms at most Starbucks locations, and it makes for an ideal pit stop opportunity. Besides, on a long road trip, drivers must replenish their caffeine just as cars must replenish their fuel tanks or batteries. The solution — chargers at coffee shops — is so glaringly obvious, it's a wonder why it's taken so long for a partnership like this to happen.

Driving Volvos on ice, and the 2025 Toyota 4Runner is almost here | Autoblog Podcast #826

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. The two kick things off by talking about what they've been driving, including the 2025 Volvo EX30 (on ice), 2024 Lexus LC 500h and 2024 Lexus TX 350. After the review section, it's time for the news. The impending 2025 Toyota 4Runner reveal is dissected; a new Buick Envision arrives, and Tesla has a rough quarter. Once the pair finish with the news, they move on to discuss the current state of affairs in Formula 1 and give a quick rundown of the New York Auto Show Editors' Picks. Finally, the show finishes with a great Spend My Money segment where a listener is trying to find a new car that might be able to take down their brother's BMW M5. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #826 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2025 Volvo EX30 2024 Lexus LC500h 2024 Lexus TX 350 News Toyota 4Runner teased 2024 Buick Envision revealed Tesla has a rough first quarter Formula 1 check-in NY Auto Show Editors' Picks Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Green Podcasts New York Auto Show Buick Lexus Tesla Toyota Volvo Coupe Crossover SUV Electric Hybrid Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Racing Vehicles Performance Podcasts

Apple announces CarPlay in-car iPhone interface

Apple, maker of tech items like the iPhone, iPad and Mac line of computers, is extending its reach into the automotive market, making a fairly big announcement ahead of the Geneva Motor Show. No, it hasn't bought Tesla (yet). Instead, Apple has announced CarPlay, an all-new means of controlling an iPhone through your car.
Now, this doesn't strike us as some gimmicky thing. It's become increasingly common for automakers to take advantage of the high-speed data streams its customers enjoy on their smartphones in order to integrate navigation, traffic, audio and other infotainment items into a car's touchscreen interface. The Chevrolet Spark and Sonic are two prime examples of this move, using an iPhone's data stream for Siri integration and data for a third-party navigation app.
Owners will be able to plug in their iPhones to their cars via the USB port and gain control of a number of the device's functions, all through a car's touchscreen.