Gridserve commences build of two new electric car forecourts

Gridserve has begun construction of two new electric forecourts, following on from the firm’s first site in Braintree, Essex.

Made up of a new flagship site at Gatwick Airport and a second in Norwich, the pair form a part of a vast motorway EV charging upgrade. The Gatwick site will be located on the south approach to the airport’s South Terminal and adjacent to the M23. Here, up to 36 electric cars can be charged at one time, with high-power chargers delivering up to 350kW. These units in particular are capable of adding up to 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes.

The Norwich site – scheduled to open in April 2022 – will mirror the Gatwick facility, with both locations offering a cafe, a waiting lounge with free WiFi and a convenience supermarket. In keeping with the Gridserve’s other sites, both Gatwick and Norwich will be supplied with low-cost, 100 per cent renewable energy from the firm’s solar farms.

Gridserve has also announced that it is planning to create more than 20 ‘Electric Hubs’, with each incorporating six to 12 high-power 350kW chargers with contactless payment. These are set to open at motorway stations across the UK by the second quarter of 2022 – with most expected to be installed by the end of March.

A next phase will see an additional 50 electric hub sites installed.

Gridserve has also secured planning for additional Electric Forecourt sites – mirroring those in Braintree, Gatwick Airport and Norwich – in areas such as Uckfield, Plymouth and Gateshead.

Toddington Harper, CEO 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.”

A variety of electric hubs are already in construction, with locations at motorway services including Swansea, Leigh Delamere Westbound and Thurrock.