Gridserve has announced that it plans to open more than 20 ‘Electric Hubs’ at UK at motorway service stations by the middle of next year, with 50 additional sites to follow in the next phase of development.
Each site will feature 6-12 x 350kW ultra high-power chargers with contactless payment, capable of adding up to 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes, and the majority of the 20 are planned to be installed by the end of March.
In addition, it is currently constructing two Electric Forecourts situated adjacent to major transport routes and motorways, including a flagship site at Gatwick Airport – the first in the world to be hosted at an international airport – and Norwich, which are due to open in 2022.
Several additional Electric Forecourt sites also have planning permission including Uckfield, Gateshead, Plymouth and Bromborough, with more than 30 additional sites also under development as part of the company’s commitment to deliver more than 100 Electric Forecourts.
The investment programme forms part of Gridserve’s plan to revolutionise EV charging across the UK, following the acquisition of Ecotricity’s Electric Highway network in June.
Some of the Electric Hubs are located in areas traditionally left behind in the EV transition, including Wales and Cornwall, helping to deliver Gridserve’s vision of giving drivers everywhere the confidence to go electric well ahead of the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars.
Since the acquisition, Gridserve has invested tens of millions of pounds in the network to develop the new Electric Hubs, replace the 300-plus existing motorway chargers it inherited from Ecotricity, and install 130 additional AC chargers to cater for all types of EVs.
Toddington Harper, CEO of Gridserve, explained: “Our mission is to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change, and that is exactly what we are doing – delivering. Getting people into electric vehicles is a big part of our vision but to do that, charging has to be simple and free of anxiety, which is why we’ve designed our network entirely around the needs of drivers, listening to our customers’ needs and providing the best possible level of customer service to deliver the confidence people need to make the switch to electric transport today, 8-years ahead of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars.”
The new Electric Forecourts at Gatwick and Norwich will follow Gridserve’s blueprint of the first Electric Forecourt in Braintree, Essex.
The Gatwick Electric Forecourt will be capable of simultaneously charging 36 EVs, with high-power chargers that can deliver up to 350 kW of charging power. Multiple charging connectors will cater for all types of electric cars.
The site is due to open in autumn 2022 and will host a café, comfortable waiting lounge with free superfast WiFi, convenience supermarket, children’s play area and a dedicated educational space to increase awareness around electric vehicles.
Harper said: “Gatwick isn’t just an airport, it’s an ecosystem of commuters, travellers, staff, taxi drivers, car rental companies, local residents and businesses, all culminating in a transport hub that hosts tens of millions of drivers every single year. The Gatwick Electric Forecourt will give these drivers and businesses the confidence to switch away from petrol and diesel cars, making electric journeys to and from one of the country’s most important transport hubs straightforward and sustainable.”
The Electric Forecourt also forms part of Gatwick Airport’s commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions for its internal operations before 2040.
Jonathan Pollard, chief commercial officer, Gatwick Airport, said: “Gatwick is pleased to partner with Gridserve to deliver this fantastic and sustainable service. We are on a journey to create a low carbon economy, and Gatwick is keen to play an important role by providing new infrastructure that everyone can use, so that together we can start reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
“Our new high-powered charging facility – delivered by Gridserve – will help meet the increasing need for electric vehicle charging infrastructure at the airport, including the growing number of our passengers who own electric vehicles and need fast, convenient and effective charging facilities.
“The new charging infrastructure will also benefit people right across our community, including thousands of staff who live locally, businesses looking to introduce electric vehicle fleets – even those operating busses and trucks – and also local residents who may be considering buying an electric-powered car but were undecided due to the lack of charging facilities.”
The Norwich Electric Forecourt, which is nearing the end of its construction, and scheduled to open in April 2022, will mirror the set up at Gatwick.
Gridserve is also developing several large-scale hybrid solar + battery farms to supply renewable solar energy as part of a “sun-to-wheel” ecosystem. Every kW of energy taken out of the grid by a Gridserve EV charger is netted off against a kW of zero carbon solar energy put back into the grid by a Gridserve solar farm.
Electric Hubs
- Currently in construction: Swansea (Moto), Heston West (Moto), Severn View (Moto), Wetherby (Moto), Burton in Kendall (Moto), Exeter (Moto), Woolley Edge North (Moto), Woolley Edge South (Moto), Thurrock (Moto), Leigh Delamere Westbound (Moto), Reading West (Moto).
- Entering construction early next year: Reading East (Moto), Grantham North (Moto), Scotch Corner (Moto), Washington North (Moto), Washington South (Moto), Cornwall Services, Annandale (Roadchef), Magor (Roadchef), Rownhams North (Roadchef), Durham (Roadchef), Watford Gap North (Roadchef), Watford Gap South (Roadchef), Northampton North (Roadchef), Northampton South (Roadchef), Strensham North (Roadchef), Strensham South (Roadchef)
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