Gridserve to roll out biggest EV charging upgrade in UK history
Gridserve will roll out the biggest upgrade of motorway electric vehicle (EV) charging points in UK history, as the company announced that 20 electric hubs will be installed across the country from March.
Each hub will feature between 6 and 12 350kW chargers, adding up to 100 miles of range. Gridserve will also build two electric forecourts – one at Gatwick airport and the other in Norwich – that will open in the autumn.
Such massive investment is part of Gridserve’s business strategy. The company in June acquired the Electric Highway network from Ecotricity, which prompted the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to open an investigation into the business.
“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,” said Gridserve’s chief executive Toddington Harper.
Gridserve’s investment plan comes on the same day private hire company Addison Lee revealed that 93 per cent of its EV drivers said finding a rapid public charger in London was not an easy process.