Tesco meets target of 600 stores with charge points

to charge while they shop with us.”

Erik Fairbairn, Pod Point founder and CEO, said: “Meeting the 600-store target is an awesome achievement and makes the Tesco rollout by far the UK’s biggest retail EV charging network. Since 2019, we’ve been giving drivers the confidence to go electric with a secure, reliable and accessible way to top up while they shop. We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Tesco and Volkswagen, and with the contribution we’re making to the UK’s charging infrastructure.”

The 600th store milestone also coincides with the next phase of the Tesco EV charging network with Pod Point installing the retailers’ first set of 75kW charging units, on a trial basis, to complement the existing 7kW, 22kW and 50kW units across the Tesco estate.

Tesco’s Kirkwall superstore has become the 600th store in the UK to have EV charging points installed since Tesco, Volkswagen and Pod Point launched the network in 2019.

The installation at the store on the remote Scottish island of Orkney, is the culmination of a programme which has seen 2,500 EV charging bays installed at 600 Tesco stores across the UK and Northern Ireland over the last three years – with all electricity used to charge cars generated from renewable sources. The network also includes 129 rapid chargers. The chargers have been used more than 6,000,000 times already saving more than 24,000 tonnes of CO2.

Jason Tarry, Tesco CEO UK & ROI, said: “It is with great pride we announce that we have hit our target of providing EV charging at 600 stores across the UK. From Orkney all the way to Southampton customers now have the option to make sustainable choices and we’re giving them somewhere easy and convenient

Customers shopping at the Tesco Cheshunt, Osterley, Shrewsbury, Ashby De La Zouch and York Extra stores, and at the Newark New Ollerton Superstore will be also soon able to benefit from the new 75kW public rapid chargers. A further six stores will be installed with 75kW units as part of the trial later this year. The range of charging speeds will cater to the different charging requirements of customers from those looking for a simple top up, to drivers needing a fuller charge. The 75kW will be available at 69p kWh.