Gridserve says more than 20 ‘Electric Hubs,’ each featuring 6-12 x 350kW ultra high-power chargers, capable of adding up to 100 miles of range in less than ten minutes, will open at motorway service stations across the UK by Q2, 2022.
The majority are planned to be installed by the end of March and in the next phase, a further 50 additional Electric Hub sites will follow.
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By GlobalDataTwo Electric Forecourts next to major transport routes and motorways, including a flagship site at Gatwick Airport and Norwich, are also in construction and due to open in 2022.
Several additional Electric Forecourt sites now also have planning permission including Uckfield, Gateshead, Plymouth and Bromborough, with more than 30 additional sites also in development as part of the company’s commitment to deliver more than 100 Electric Forecourts.
The investment programme forms part of Gridserve’s plan for EV charging across the UK, following the acquisition of Ecotricity’s Electric Highway network in June. Some of the Electric Hubs are also located in areas traditionally left behind in the EV transition, maintains the company, including Wales and Cornwall.
Since the acquisition, Gridserve has invested in the network to develop the new Electric Hubs, replace the 300+ existing motorway chargers it inherited from Ecotricity and install 130 additional AC chargers to cater for all types of EVs.
“Our mission is to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change and that is exactly what we are doing, delivering,” said Gridserve CEO, Toddington Harper.
“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 customer service to deliver the confidence people need to make the switch to electric transport today, eight years ahead of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars.”
Developed in partnership with Gatwick Airport, the Gatwick Electric Forecourt will be a flagship site, serving the tens of millions of passengers, commuters, staff, local residents and businesses, which pass through the airport and its surrounding motorway network each year.
Located on the ring road south approach to Gatwick’s South Terminal and adjacent to the M23, it will enable 36 EVs to be charged simultaneously, with high-power chargers that can deliver up to 350 kW of charging power, capable of adding 100 miles of range in less than ten minutes. 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, waiting lounge, convenience supermarket, children’s play area and an educational space to increase awareness around EVs.
As with all Gridserve’s chargers, the site will be supplied with 100% renewable net zero carbon energy generated by the company’s own solar farms.
“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,” added Harper.
“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 and its broader aspirations to become the UK’s most sustainable airport, including through involvement in British industry plans to reach net zero aircraft emissions by 2050.
It also contributes to majority stakeholder, Vinci Airports’ global environmental action plan, applying to a network of 45 airports in 12 countries, to develop carbon-free energy for passengers and users.
Gridserve is 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.
Gridserve also leases EVs, with 100 trees planted for every such vehicle.
https://www.gridserve.com/2021/12/09/biggest-motorway-ev-charging-upgrade-in-uk-history-underway-with-11-new-ultra-high-power-electric-hubs-in-construction-plus-world-first-electric-forecourt-at-gatwick-airport/
