‘Biggest ever upgrade’ to add 150 ultra-rapid EV chargers to UK motorway network in 2022

Gridserve
20 new EV hubs and two more electric forecourts set to expand public infrastructure around the country

More than 150 ultra-fast EV chargers are to be installed along the UK’s motorway network under a massive expansion of the country’s charging infrastructure.

In what it says is the biggest upgrade to motorway provision in history, provider Gridserve plans to open more than 20 new EV charging “hubs” at key locations in 2022.

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The firm, which took over operation of the beleaguered Ecotricity Electric Highway network in June, says it will have 20 sites each with up to 12 350kW chargers open by the middle of the year, with plans for another 50 locations to follow.

It has also announced details of two more “electric forecourts” - large-scale charging sites with dedicated service stations - following the opening of its first site at Braintree in Essex earlier this year.

Plans have been approved for four more electric forecourtsPlans have been approved for four more electric forecourts
Plans have been approved for four more electric forecourts | Gridserve

Each new hub will have between six and 12 chargers each capable of adding up to 100 miles of range to compatible cars in just 10 minutes and all fitted with contactless payment systems.

Construction of 11 sites is already underway, with work on the remaining locations due to being in early 2022. The majority of the new hubs are along major motorways in high-population parts of England but Gridserve says it is expanding its network into areas currently underserved for public chargers, including Wales and Cornwall.

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The two new electric forecourts are also currently under construction at Gatwick Airport and on the outskirts of Norwich. The Norwich site is expected to open in April, with the Gatwick site near the south terminal due for completion in the autumn.

Both sites will have 350kW charging for up to 36 vehicles at a time, powered from renewable sources, and a service area with cafe, supermarket, children’s play area, business lounge and EV education space.

The firm also has planning permission for four other forecourt sites in Uckfield, Gateshead, Plymouth and Bromborough.

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.

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“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, 8-years ahead of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars.”

The full list of new hubs is:

  • Currently in construction: Swansea (Moto), Heston West (Moto), Severn View (Moto), Wetherby (Moto), Burton in Kendall (Moto), Exeter (Moto), Woolley Edge North (Moto), Woolley Edge South (Moto), Thurrock (Moto), Leigh Delamere Westbound (Moto), Reading West (Moto).
  • Entering construction in early 2022: Reading East (Moto), Grantham North (Moto), Scotch Corner (Moto), Washington North (Moto), Washington South (Moto), Cornwall Services, Annandale (Roadchef), Magor (Roadchef), Rownhams North (Roadchef), Durham (Roadchef), Watford Gap North (Roadchef), Watford Gap South (Roadchef), Northampton North (Roadchef), Northampton
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