Major retail names confirmed for UK’s first electric forecourt

Soon to open electric forecourt GRIDSERVE has announced multiple new partnerships with retail, service and technology giants.

Due to open near Braintree, Essex, this November, GRIDSERVE has confirmed partnerships with WHSmith, Costa Coffee, Post Office, Booths, and Gourmade. It has also confirmed partnerships with charging infrastructure partners ABB, and Tesla, as well as customer support from the AA.
 
The UK’s first Electric Forecourt® near Braintree, Essex, will be the first of over 100 sites to be built by GRIDSERVE in the next five years, as part of a £1bn programme to help make EV driving ultra-convenient and stress-free.

The Electric Forecourt® has been financed by GRIDSERVE together with Hitachi Capital UK PLC and Innovate UK. 30 electric vehicles can be charged simultaneously with high power chargers that can deliver up to 350kW of charging power, enabling people to add 200 miles of range in just 20 minutes, and much faster in the future as battery technologies within the cars mature.
 
While vehicles charge, drivers will be able to use the two-story building houses a waiting lounge, free superfast Wi-Fi, high-end washrooms, a dedicated kid's area, wellbeing area and business meeting room pods. On the ground floor, there's a retail space, operated by WHSmith, which includes a coffee shop, convenience supermarket, as well as fresh and frozen food. Well known brands include WHSmith, Costa Coffee, Post Office, Booths, and Gourmade.
 
The Electric Forecourt® will also include an education centre to showcase electric vehicles, providing people with the confidence, knowledge and support to transition to an all-electric future. GRIDSERVE and Hitachi Capital UK PLC have also partnered to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles by offering simplified electric vehicle solutions that reduce upfront costs and have charging included in competitive monthly costs designed to bring the cost of using electric vehicles below the overall costs of using petrol or diesel cars.