Gridserve

FORECOURTS

Electric avenue

Gridserve is developing a flagship site at Gatwick – the first be hosted at an international airport.

Sustainable energy company Gridserve has revealed it is constructing more than 20 Electric Hubs that will open at motorway service stations across the UK by the end of March.

Offering contactless payment, the hubs feature 6-12 x 350kW ultra high-power chargers with CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, capable of adding up to 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes.

The company says that in the next phase a further 50 additional Electric Hub sites will follow.

In addition, two electric forecourts situated adjacent to major transport routes and motorways, including flagship sites at Gatwick Airport and Norwich, are also in construction. The forecourts are 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 under development as part of the company’s commitment to deliver over 100 electric forecourts.

Toddington Harper, Chief Executive of Gridserve, said: “Our mission is to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change, and that is exactly what we are doing – delivering. 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, eight years ahead of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars.”

The Gatwick electric forecourt, which has been developed in partnership with Gatwick Airport, is the first in the world to be hosted at an international airport. It will serve tens of millions of passengers, commuters, staff, local residents and businesses that 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 10 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, comfortable waiting lounge with free superfast WiFi, convenience supermarket, children’s play area and a dedicated educational space to increase awareness around electric vehicles.

Harper said: “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. 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.”

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, Gatwick Airport, added: “Our new high-powered charging facility will help meet the increasing need for electric vehicle charging infrastructure at the airport, including the growing number of our passengers who own electric vehicles and need fast, convenient and effective charging facilities.

“The new charging infrastructure will also benefit people right across our community, including thousands of staff who live locally, businesses looking to introduce electric vehicle fleets – even those operating busses and trucks – and also local residents who may be considering buying an electric-powered car but were undecided due to the lack of charging facilities.”

The Norwich electric forecourt, which is scheduled to open in April 2022, will mirror the set up at Gatwick and provide unprecedented access to East Anglia for EV drivers.