Johnny Srikrishna has just installed his first electric vehicle (EV) charger – which he describes as an affordable option – at his site in Epsom, Surrey. This is one of six petrol stations he owns with his father Kris under the SJS Group.
The business, which operates petrol stations from Hastings to Northampton, has introduced a 50kW unit with two contactless charging points from new national start-up Forward EV at a cost of £14,000, plus a similar amount for installation, and a minimal yearly service fee for twice yearly servicing and parts.
Having purchased the equipment outright, Johnny will take all of the income, the model which he prefers to work to, and he was fortunate that the current power supply to the Kingston Road site on the A240 was sufficient to power the device with no need for an upgrade.
Just eight days into having the equipment it has attracted half a dozen chargers. But Johnny is optimistic that once his site appears on Zapmap and word gets out that he has EV charging that electric vehicle drivers, who previously used the site for food and drink purchases only, will become regulars.
“In the first year, we’d be happy with three to four charges a day,” says Johnny. “Without offering a chargepoint we would see potential income driving away, and given the cost, which was affordable, and the growing opportunity it seemed a shame not to grab this opportunity.”
He is also planning to use the large digital media screen to promote meal deals such as the Country Choice bacon turnover and Costa coffee for £2.30 that he is currently running. And he expects with customers using the charger having greater dwell time on site it might bring him more business for the InPost parcel locker and laundry machine on the site.
“I’ll change the special offers depending on the time of year, featuring Country Choice pigs in blankets for winter, and Tango Ice Blast over summer,” says Johnny who is asking Forward EV to upload the deals for him.
If things work out, Johnny plans to introduce EV charging at three other sites including ultra-rapid devices at Reading, and Ashene north and south carriageway locations.
At the same time of considering installing six bays of chargers at Reading, including ultra-rapid, Johnny is also looking at introducing a stronger food to go offer which tol complement the EV charging. “I’m thinking of Mexican-style burrito fast food, or a dessert bar,” he says.
“Reading is a competitive urban landscape and so we need something different,” says Johnny.
Johnny announced last spring that his business planned to slash tens of thousands of pounds a year from its electricity bill after installing solar panels at its six Budgens/Shell forecourts last year.
As part of this, he has started a £12,000 programme of retrofitting all of the business’s fridges with doors by the end of the year, which he hopes will cut their energy use by 60%. He is also considering installing battery energy storage units to strategically use electricity produced by its solar panels at times electricity from the grid is more expensive.
