Video: Electric Forecourts to offer ‘Best of British’ retail experience

An Electric Forecourt due to open near Braintree in Essex this November is the first in more than 100 planned throughout the United Kingdom in five years.

Up to 30 EVs can be charged simultaneously with high power chargers that can deliver up to 350kW of charging power, enabling 321.8km range in just 20 minutes, and faster in the future as battery technologies within the cars mature.

Gridserve says it will offer “Best of British” retail customer experience with household brands including WHSmith, Costa Coffee, the Post Office, Booths, and Gourmade together with technology partners Tesla, ABB, and the AA helping deliver a “world class” customer experience of the future.

“Our UK-wide network of over 100 customer-focused Electric Forecourts will eliminate range and charging anxiety by making it easier and cheaper to charge an electric vehicle than to fuel a petrol or diesel alternative,” Gridserve founder and chief executive Toddington Harper says.

“The UK’s first Electric Forecourt represents so much more than an electric equivalent of a modern petrol station – it will deliver a fully loaded customer experience, offering the Best of British retail and customer service to cater for a full range of consumer and driver needs.”

The Electric Forecourt is part of a billion pound project to help make EV driving an enjoyable, ultra-convenient and stress-free experience, Harper says.

It’s been financed by Gridserve together with Hitachi Capital UK PLC and Innovate UK.

While vehicles charge, drivers will be able to relax and shop in a state-of-the-art facility that will cater for all their needs, Gridserve says.

The two-storey 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, a comprehensive retail space, operated by WHSmith, includes a coffee shop, convenience supermarket, as well as fresh and frozen food.

“It’s a great concept and we look forward to playing our part over the next hundred years with the future of electric cars,” WHSmith Travel managing director Toby Keir says.

The Electric Forecourt will include an education centre to showcase EVs, 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 EV uptake by offering simplified EV solutions that reduce upfront costs and have charging included in competitive monthly costs designed to bring the cost of using EVs below the overall costs of using petrol or diesel cars.

Customer support will be provided by the AA via a team of EV experts. Drivers will be able to call a dedicated helpline from each supercharger and receive industry-leading advice on any technical questions related to the charger or their vehicle.

“The UK’s first Electric Forecourt is an incredibly exciting project, pioneering the future of electric vehicle charging,” AA president Edmund King says.

ABB provides 24 of the Electric Forecourt’s high-power chargers – half of which can deliver up to 350kW of power and will be able to charge every EV on the market now.

“This Electric Forecourt is a step-change for e-mobility and our cutting-edge charging infrastructure will deliver unrivalled charging speeds, enabling people to charge any type of electric vehicle with ease and as fast as the vehicle will allow,” ABB global e-mobility infrastructure solutions head Frank Muehlon says.

Six Tesla Superchargers are included, a format Gridserve plans to replicate or enlarge with Tesla at many other Electric Forecourt sites.

Gridserve has secured exclusivity at 100 sites along busy routes, near powerful grid connections and close to populated areas or transport routes. Planning applications for two additional sites in Uckfield and Norwich East have been submitted.

The Electric Forecourts will be powered by zero carbon solar energy and battery storage projects, ensuring carbon emission targets can be met.

To achieve this, Gridserve is developing several large solar farms, supported by grid-scale batteries, as part of its “Sun-to-Wheel” initiative to ensure that 100% of the electricity used at its forecourts is renewable and sustainable.

Gridserve recently acquired the Clayhill Solar Farm in Bedfordshire to supply the Braintree Electric Forecourt.

It has also completed a 34.7MWp project at York with bifacial panels, single axis sun trackers, and a 30MWh battery, and is completing a 25.7MWp project at Hull using similar technologies.