Chuck Hutton Toyota building solar-powered EV charge stations, complete with while-you-wait lounge

By Aisling Mäki – Daily Memphian

August 16, 2024

Chuck Hutton Toyota unveiled a solar farm at its Whitehaven site and announced construction of a lounge where drivers can wait while they charge their electric vehicles.

The solar farm is north of the dealership’s main building at 4601 Hutton Way. The lounge is expected to be completed in early 2025.

Four minutes from Memphis International Airport, the facility will be home to the first fleet of fast-charging stations at a U.S. Toyota dealership.

“Our solar-powered dealership, ChargePoint stations and YK Lounge will be unique to the region,” said Young Kim, president of YK Auto Group, which owns Chuck Hutton Toyota. “We are excited to launch it here, with substantial plans for growth and expansion over the next few years.”

Kim worked for Chuck Hutton Toyota for 15 years, most recently as general manager. He became dealer principal when he bought the business from the Hutton family in 2020.

Lance Brittle, manager of dealer facilities operations for Toyota North America, said Kim’s commitment to sustainability sets an example to other dealers.

“I bet you this is not the only thing you’re going to see from Young in the future, but this is what we try to get our other dealers to think about — out of the box thinking,” Brittle said. “How do we do a better job for our customers, the community and the environment? And that’s what this man has done.”

Chuck Hutton Toyota is a participant in Toyota’s Innovative Dealer Environmental Excellence Program, which aims to reduce energy, water, waste, carbon emissions and operational costs.

Local business leaders previewed the Chuck Hutton Toyota charging station. The facility will be home to the first fleet of fast-charging stations at a U.S. Toyota dealership.

“We have 110 dealers signed up,” Brittle said. “At the end of the day, not only is it doing the right thing for the environment; it’s helping them as a business to reduce their overhead.”

Freedom Solar Power designed and installed the solar farm, which will power the dealership and the EV charging station.

Ryan Ferrero, national director of auto industry electrification at Freedom Solar Power, said the solar panels have a 30-year warranty.

“With our installation, executives will be able to monitor the system’s solar generation on an ongoing basis, from lifetime savings to percentage of electricity offset,” Ferrero said. “Gathering and tracking this information will support expanding EV charging infrastructure powered by solar energy.”

Vegetation around the solar farm’s modules will be maintained by sheep from a local farm that will visit regularly for grazing.

The ChargePoint Express Plus charging stations are equipped with DC fast-charging capabilities.

“It is a 350-kilowatt station,” said Shannon Murphy, ChargePoint’s automotive partnership manager. “For reference, the Tesla chargers down the road are slower than that.”

Drivers will pay an hourly rate that includes access to the YK Oasis while their vehicles charge. The lounge features soundproof office pods, a children’s play area, a golf simulator and a dog park.

Memphis-based construction firm Grinder, Taber & Grinder, Inc. is the general contractor for the project.

Ursula Madden, MLGW vice president of corporate communications, said: “We’re excited that people are aligned with MLGW’s vision of sustainability. The more people who take these steps and make these investments, the more it will benefit the entire community going forward.”