Bridgestone Americas plans to expand its electric and hybrid vehicle charging stations to its Firestone Complete Auto Care and Wheel Works stores.
The company will expand to 44 stores in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, California, as part of a broader initiative to add electric car parts and services to its portfolio.
The move comes as the automotive market is undergoing a massive transition with every automotive OEM converting its primary models to electrification. Additionally, a whole set of automotive electric startups has emerged to compete against these traditional players.
Currently, electric vehicles only account for less than 10% of total services at Bridgestone’s retail stores, however, given the consumer demand for these cars and the transition that is expected to take place between now and 2030, this is likely to expand significantly in the coming years, the company said.
Don’t Blink
Bridgestone said it will install a total of 50 level two plug-in charging stations at 25 Firestone stores in the first quarter of 2022 provided by Blink Charging.
The charging stations will also be installed at stores in Denver, Colorado, and Los Angeles, California.
“It’s an exciting time to be in the automotive service industry as mobility evolves to be cleaner and more sustainable,” said Marko Ibrahim, president of Bridgestone Retail Operations. “We truly believe what’s good for society is good for business, which is why we are increasing our investments in plug-in vehicle services in two key markets with plans to expand further in the future. The steps we take now will ensure we are the service provider of choice for new-energy vehicles.”
