The Jockey Club begins EV charging roll-out at its venues

Horse racing company The Jockey Club has begun installing EV charging solutions at each of its 14 locations.

EVC will be installing well over 100 fast and rapid (22-150kW) charge points across The Jockey Club’s venues, which will help with their commitment to be carbon neutral by 2027.

Chargers were recently installed at four racecourses including Epsom Downs, Haydock Park, Exeter and Newmarket Rowley Mile and the remaining 10 venues will see EV chargers installed before the end of 2024. Sandown Park Racecourse in Surrey is set to have the highest number, with 42 charging bays to become available as demand increases.

EVC will be installing the charge points at The Jockey Club’s race venues on a fully funded basis, carrying out the installation and covering the ongoing management and maintenance of the chargers at zero cost to the Club.

Kirstin McEvoy, Sustainability Manager at The Jockey Club says: “Horseracing is a sport with so much heritage, and our partnership with EVC underscores our commitment to seeking out innovations that will enable us to future-proof our racecourses and deliver on our net zero ambitions.

“At The Jockey Club, sustainability goes hand-in-hand with our mission to safeguard the legacy of our historic racecourses and this is a significant step on our journey. Ensuring all 14 of our locations have EV charging solutions and tripling the EV parking bays available for our racegoers means a faster charging experience.”

Nick Bellamy, CEO at EVC, says: “At EVC our mission has always been to develop one of the largest destination charging networks in the UK. By enabling fast and convenient EV charging at each of its iconic venues, The Jockey Club strengthens its guest experience, bolsters its sustainability objectives, and appeals to a new generation of environmentally conscious racegoers and corporate hospitality clients. However, this initiative goes beyond convenience for race fans – it’s a strategic investment in the future of mobility, particularly in locations like the Northwest of England which are currently underserved by public EV charging points.”

As each course is unique, EVC will be working with The Jockey Club to provide bespoke installations that meet varying requirements and capabilities, to provide both staff and visitors with convenient EV charging onsite. Of the 169 charge points to be installed, 91 will be active sockets, with 78 passive sockets enabling additional chargers to be easily fitted as demand grows.

Each of the venues will have a different charging tariff, with reduced rates available via the EVC Plus app. As well as flexible payment options, the app also allows drivers to track charging sessions, access in-depth charging analysis and remotely stop their charge.  

In February 2023, EVC announced that it had secured a £165 million investment from Denham Sustainable Infrastructure, an arm of global energy transition investment firm, Denham Capital, to accelerate its ambition to deliver up to 100,000 EV charge points across the UK. To date, the funding has enabled the installation and securing of 1000’s of charging points across ‘destinations’ including hospitality, leisure and retail venues, workplaces and multi-dwelling residential units.