PR344_P44-47_EV Gridserve.qxp_PR344_p44-47 14/12/2020 14:21 Page 44
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The Gridserve Electric Forecourt in Braintree
Filling up on sunshine Gridserve plans to create a network of facilities that promote electric motoring
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wners of electric vehicles embarking on long journeys often experience a feeling called “range anxiety”, a sense of disquiet stemming from the uncertainty that they will find a place to recharge their car along the route. Besides the challenge of locating publically available charging points at service areas, in car parks or at the kerbside, EV owners are currently confronted with an array of chargepoint types which top-up their car batteries at a different speeds, may require connecting using a variety of cable designs and often require the driver to sign up as a network member in order to activate the service. But what if re-charging an electric car was as straightforward as topping up a petrol or diesel powered vehicle? Imagine a forecourt where EV owners can pull up, plug-in and re-charge rapidly without fuss, and where they can buy a cup of coffee or play with the kids while they wait. This is the vision that has driven Toddington Harper, who says his mission is to provide people with the confidence that the UK will have the charging infrastructure required for mass EV adoption well ahead of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars. This mission has seen Harper’s company Gridserve open what is being billed as the UK’s first forecourt dedicated to EVs. The first Electric Forecourt opened at Braintree in Essex on 7 December. The facility can charge a total of 36 electric vehicles simultaneously. The forecourt features a range of chargers that can deliver up to 350kW of charging power, including six Tesla superchargers. Current battery technology means that 350kW chargers can add 200 miles of range with 20 minutes’ charging. Toddington Harper, the founder and chief executive of
44 | DECEMBER 2020 | PARKING REVIEW
Gridserve, said he wants to make EV driving a stress-free experience that delivers EV driving at a cost lower than driving petrol or diesel vehicles. Braintree is just the first in what is envisaged to be a national network. Gridserve has a £1bn programme that will see the opening of 100 Electric Forecourts across the UK over the next five years. Harper says: “The first Electric Forecourt represents a major milestone in achieving Gridserve’s purpose to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change. It’s our collective responsibility to prevent greenhouse gas emissions rising further, and electric vehicles powered by clean energy represent a large part of the solution. “However, charging has to be simple and free of anxiety, which is why we’ve designed our Electric Forecourts entirely around the needs of drivers, updating the traditional petrol station model for a Net Zero carbon world and delivering the confidence people need to make the switch to electric transport today – a full decade ahead of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars. Together with our charging-included electric vehicle leasing business, that we are also launching today in partnership with Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC, people now have the full confidence to make the transition to an electric vehicle, knowing that charging is in-hand, and it’s actually less expensive to use an electric car than a petrol or diesel alternative.” The Braintree forecourt, located adjacent to Great Notley, just off the A131, has been jointly funded by Gridserve and Hitachi Capital (UK), with support from the UK government via Innovate UK and the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles (the new name for the Office for Low Emission Vehicles). Transport minister Rachel Maclean marked the forecourt’s opening by saying: “As we accelerate towards cleaner and greener transport, I’m delighted to see the future of service stations being brought to life with the opening of the UK’s first all-electric forecourt. Government funding has helped make
