Retail partners unveiled for UK’s first electric forecourt

Ahead of November opening for trail-blazing EV charging station, Gridserve confirms leading retail chains are all put to open outlets in the new electrical forecourt in Essex

Drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) will be able to get a Costa Coffee, pick up a newspaper at WHSmith, also do a quick grocery store at high end supermarket Booths, while tracking their automobile’s battery, in the UK’s very first forecourt for electrical vehicles.

Gridserve, the firm behind the project, said the recently announced partnerships imply drivers will have a”world class customer experience” if they stop in at the aptly-named Electric Forecourt, that is slated to open Braintree, Essex in November.

Alongside charging infrastructure spouses ABB and Tesla, customer support will be supplied the AA, which this week announced plans to get a new dedicated EV support services.

The Post Office and luxurious frozen foods brand Gourmade also have signed up to be involved with the job.

Credit: Gridserve

Toddington Harper, founder and chief executive of Gridserve, said the project marked the very first step in a nationwide roll out of fast charging infrastructure. “Our UK-wide network of over 100 customer-focused Electric Forecourts will eliminate range and charging anxiety by making it easier and cheaper to charge an electric vehicle than to fuel a petrol or diesel alternative,” he explained.

“The UK’s first Electric Forecourt, represents so much more than an electric equivalent of a modern petrol station – it will deliver a fully loaded customer experience, offering the best of British retail and customer service to cater for a full range of consumer and driver needs.”

The forecourt will be able to bill around 30 electrical vehicles simultaneously with chargers that provide up to 350kW of charging power, enabling people to include 200 miles of range in only 20 minutes, with that time anticipated to be cut off as battery technology inside the automobiles older.

The forecourt a part of a £1bn programme to make driving EVs more suitable and stress-free. Gridserve is among a growing group of companies investing in the development of fast charging infrastructure, which is widely regarded as critical for enabling EVs continued movement into the mainstream.

Toby Keir, managing director in WHSmith Travel, said the company had been”delighted to be partnering with Gridserve’s Electric Forecourt to deliver a new first-class retail experience”.

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