Walmart has started deploying new 400 kW DC fast chargers from ABB E-mobility as it continues building one of the largest retail-based EV charging networks in the United States. The first ABB A400 all-in-one chargers are being installed around the Phoenix metropolitan area, adding to the Alpitronic units already used by the retailer.
The ABB A400 can deliver up to 400 kW to a single electric vehicle. When two EVs are connected at the same time, the charger can dynamically manage power between both vehicles. Each unit is equipped with both CCS and NACS connectors, making it compatible with most electric vehicles currently on U.S. roads.
Walmart plans to install ABB’s all-in-one fast chargers at nine locations in the coming months, with a total of 38 stalls scheduled to go live. The first sites are planned for Mesa, Tempe, Apache Junction and Queen Creek in Arizona.
This is only the beginning of a much larger charging strategy. Walmart wants to install thousands of 400 kW fast chargers at its stores across the country by 2030. The company’s public fast-charging network has already grown from only a few stalls last year to more than 200 ports this month.
Walmart is using 400 kW chargers exclusively for this network. Its first units came from Alpitronic, which also supplies all-in-one chargers with two charging cables. From a technical standpoint, the ABB and Alpitronic chargers are similar: both offer up to 600 amps of current and use silicon carbide semiconductors for roughly 97% efficiency.
The biggest visible difference is the display. ABB’s A400 charger features a large 32-inch LCD screen, while Alpitronic’s dispenser uses a 15.6-inch screen. Both designs include four physical buttons.
Although both ABB and Alpitronic chargers can be fitted with card readers for contactless payments, the units installed in Walmart and Sam’s Club parking lots do not currently include card readers. Instead, EV drivers need to start and pay for charging sessions through Walmart’s smartphone app.
ABB E-mobility North America President Brandt Hastings described the Phoenix-area launch as the first step in what the company calls one of the most ambitious retail charging rollouts in the United States. The goal is to combine Walmart’s store footprint with high-power charging infrastructure that can support today’s EV drivers and future demand.
For Walmart, the strategy is clear: make fast charging available where people already shop. If the rollout scales as planned, Walmart could become one of the most important non-automaker EV charging networks in the country by the end of the decade.
