EV charging company Gridserve has hit back at claims by the RAC that the government is unlikely to meet its targets for provision of rapid chargers at motorway service stations.
In a government policy paper from May 2020 it stated: “We will ensure that every motorway service area has at least six rapid chargers by the end of 2023, with some having more than 12.”
However, after analysing the latest data on EV charging provision, the RAC said there is currently an average of just over three (3.4) rapid or ultra-rapid chargers at motorway services, and six motorway services in England – Leicester Forest on both sides of the M1, Tebay South on the M6, Carlisle Northbound on the M1, Strensham Southbound on the M5 and Barton Park on the A1(M) – don’t have any high-powered chargers.
Currently, there are six services in England which have more than 12 such devices. These are Exeter on the M5, Rugby on the M6, Reading East and West on the M4, Thurrock on the M25 and Wetherby on the A1(M).
RAC EV spokesperson Simon Williams said: “Our findings show there is much work to be done before the end of the year if the government’s target of having six high-powered chargers at every motorway service area is to be met.”
However, in a written response Gridserve stated: “Gridserve is laser-focused on delivering six (or more) high-power chargers at all Moto and Roadchef locations by the end of the year.
“This is not straightforward, and there are issues outside of our control, particularly relating to the timeframes for energising new grid connections. However, we have the funding, the supply chains, the partnerships, and the expert teams all in-place to meet Gridserve’s contribution to delivering the government’s 2023 target.
“In fact, Gridserve have already delivered over 70% of the high-power electric super hubs identified in the RAC report, and given we are less than halfway through the year, and we have the considerable momentum with dozens of additional sites in and entering construction over the next few months, at least from Gridserve’s perspective, we would suggest that the RAC report is a little premature.”
