Electric forecourt with retail customer experience

Solar plus storage system developer GRIDSERVE has announced partnerships with retail, service and technology companies to deliver the UK’s first ‘electric forecourt’ due to open this month near Braintree in Essex.

The retail partners, including WHSmith and Costa Coffee; alongside charging infrastructure partners ABB and Tesla; and customer support from the AA; have teamed up with GRIDSERVE to help deliver its vision of making electric vehicle charging as simple as using petrol stations.

Some 30 electric vehicles can be charged simultaneously at the site, with high power chargers. These can deliver up to 350 kW of charging power, enabling people to add 200 miles of range in just 20 minutes – much faster in the future as battery technologies mature, says GRIDSERVE.

While vehicles charge, drivers will be able to relax and shop in a two-story facility that will cater for all their needs, including a waiting lounge, free superfast Wi-Fi, washrooms and business meeting room pods – plus retail. 

Image: GRIDSERVE