Rove CEO, Bill Reid: reinventing EV charging in California

In this episode of The Future of Convenience, hosts Carolyn Schnare and Dan Munford sit down with Bill Reid, chairman and CEO of Rove Charging, to explore how Rove is reimagining the EV charging experience in Southern California.

The episode dives into how Reid and his team are creating large-scale, customer-first charging hubs that mirror the high-quality convenience and reliability often seen in European models.

Rove’s flagship site in Santa Ana features 40 DC fast chargers, a market operated by local grocery partner Gelson’s, on-site support staff, clean restrooms, and thoughtful amenities like free Wi-Fi and tire air stations. It’s not just about plugging in, it’s about delivering an environment people want to visit. “We designed the site to be something we would want to use. We would want to go to a place where we knew any car could charge…And then we figured that people would want to always be safe, so the site is lit at night and there’s always people there,” said Reid.

That focus on customer experience is core to Rove’s strategy. Reid shared that dwell time at the Santa Ana hub averages about 30 minutes, and that Rove’s team is learning daily how customers interact with the space. Importantly, they’ve found value in having trained staff on site to ensure reliability and provide assistance. “We have 100% availability and over 98% uptime,” said Reid. “We’re helping people get everything working and that’s been a very strong selling feature.”

Rove’s growth is also driven by data. The company takes a highly analytical approach to site selection, looking at everything from EV ownership density to highway traffic patterns. Rove has already broken ground on a second location in Costa Mesa and has several more sites planned in Long Beach, Torrance, and Corona, all with an eye toward opening 35 hubs by 2030.

As Dan noted, California’s EV market is massive, representing about a quarter of all new vehicle sales in the state, and what happens there often sets the tone for the rest of the country. Reid agreed: “In California, it’s really ground zero for EV ownership in North America. If you can make it there, you know you’re doing well.”

While Rove sees itself as a destination charging experience, Reid is quick to stress that any public charging investment is a win for the industry. “Even if it’s two chargers next to the movie theater or behind the fast-food restaurant, we think that’s terrific because that will encourage more EV ownership,” he said. But Rove stands out by offering reliability, amenities, and support that turn uncertainty into confidence for EV drivers.

With round-the-clock service and plans for expansion, Rove is positioning itself as more than a place to power up: it’s a reimagined fueling experience for a growing segment of drivers.

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