Valvoline oil change outlets pilot offering EV services
Valvoline Inc., which is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A., has begun piloting electric vehicle (EV) services in its retail stores in the United States. These pilots, in a limited number of its oil change locations, are the next step in advancing Valvoline’s strategy to extend its world-class preventive auto maintenance service model to EV owners, OEMs and fleets.
Valvoline operates and franchises approximately 1,600 service center locations and is the No. 2 and No. 3 largest chain in the U.S. and Canada, respectively, by number of stores. With sales in more than 140 countries and territories, Valvoline’s solutions are available for every engine and drivetrain, including high-mileage and heavy-duty vehicles, and are offered at more than 80,000 locations worldwide.
“For 150 years we’ve been bringing innovation to the automotive aftermarket,” said Heidi Matheys, chief marketing & transformation officer, Valvoline. “As Valvoline continues to transform its retail offerings and extend its existing offerings to EV owners, we are able to offer our quick, easy, trusted approach to automotive maintenance regardless of a vehicle’s power source.”
The Valvoline retail service centers that are piloting the program are providing inspection and maintenance-based services such as 12-volt battery replacement, tire rotations, key fob battery replacement, cabin air filter replacement, wiper replacement and state safety inspections. Many of these services are already performed in Valvoline’s retail locations today but will now be piloted with a specific focus on electric vehicles. Phase two is expected to include additional services targeted to EVs and will begin this summer in select company-owned stores.
The announcement comes on the heels of Valvoline being named recently as one of four initial U.S. service partners for Arrival, a global company that is on a mission to make air clean by replacing all vehicles with affordable electric solutions produced by local microfactories.
