Motor Fuel Group (MFG) has completed a rapid electric vehicle charger rollout across nearly 300 Morrisons supermarkets nationwide, as part of its ambition to lead the way in the road transport energy transition.
The milestone of hitting over 580 rapid EV Power charging bays in five months was marked by Daisy Cooper MP visiting MFG’s St Albans EV hub. The investment on plots it acquired on Morrisons car parks alongside 337 forecourts last year, gives the supermarket more EV charging bays than any other food retailer.
The Morrisons’ installations are in addition to MFG’s ultra-rapid charging hub pipeline which is set to increase from over 1,000 bays now to 1,900 by the end of 2025, making it the largest rapid/ultra rapid charging network in the UK.
MFG, which has been installing hubs of up to eight bays alongside its petrol/diesel forecourts, has committed to investing in excess of £400 million in 3,000 ultra-rapid 150kW, 300kW and 400kW chargers across 500 sites by 2030. It aims to complete EV charging installation at all suitable remaining locations in its network by 2035.
A benefit the Top 50 Indie has over chargepoint operators which rent the land they operate on is that MFG has a significant real estate ownership, with 89% of its sites freehold or long leasehold.
On the Morrisons sites, MFG will have over 100 ultra rapid hubs by 2030, in addition to a further 400 hubs across its 1,218 service stations, ensuring, it says, that communities across the UK have access to convenient, high-speed EV charging.
MFG, which partners with Esso, BP, Shell, Murco, Texaco, and Jet, has been undergoing wider “full-scale redevelopments of its forecourts”. Its aim is “to deliver travel retail destinations” with a £170m investment in 2025. This includes the introduction of new food-to-go options including Pret, Greggs and Burger King, as well as convenience store retail refits, and development of car wash centres.
It says that charging infrastructure remains a “critical enabler” of the transition to electric vehicles, with industry forecasts suggesting that the UK will require 300,000 rapid and ultra-rapid chargers by 2030 to meet growing demand.
The rollout of high-speed charging at retail and forecourt locations is particularly important, it says, with the drivers of over 1.5 million EVs on Britain’s roads needing to recharge quickly on everyday journeys.
It says that its investment is directly aligned with the UK’s ambitious climate goals and the ongoing transformation of road transport. By delivering rapid and ultra-rapid charging across its network, it says that it is helping to remove barriers to EV adoption, supporting local communities, and fostering a cleaner, greener future.
“Completing this rollout of rapid charging bays across the Morrisons network in just five months is a testament to our team’s expertise and commitment, says MFG chief executive William Bannister.
“We are delivering on our promise to provide the infrastructure communities need to embrace electric vehicles, while continuing to invest in a best-in-class experience for all our customers.”
Daisy Cooper MP for St Albans says she applauds MFG for its efforts in EV charging. “This is a significant investment in the UK EV charging sector and will give greater availability to drivers and reassurance that there are public charging points within a short driver anywhere in the UK,” she says.
“Seeing drivers who live in and pass through St Albans plug in their electric vehicles whilst stopping for a rest and a coffee, is great news for the environment, and local employment. I’m looking forward to seeing how the roll out continues in the coming years.”
