Gridserve is to open electric vehicle (EV) forecourts at Gatwick Airport and Norwich while also implementing 20 electric hubs across the UK.
Gridserve says the Gatwick electric forecourt will serve tens of millions of passengers, commuters, staff, local residents and businesses that pass through the airport and its surrounding motorway network each year.
According to Gridserve, it will enable 36 EVs to be charged simultaneously, with high-power chargers that can deliver up to 350 kW of charging power, capable of adding 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes.
The forecourt – located on the Ring Road South approach to Gatwick’s South Terminal and adjacent to the M23 – is due to open in autumn 2022. It will host a café, waiting lounge, Wi-Fi, convenience supermarket and a dedicated educational space to increase awareness around EVs. It will receive renewable net zero carbon energy generated by Gridserve's solar farms.
Gridserve CEO Toddington Harper says: “Gatwick isn’t just an airport, it’s an ecosystem of commuters, travellers, staff, taxi drivers, car rental companies, local residents and businesses, all culminating in a transport hub that hosts tens of millions of drivers every single year. The Gatwick electric forecourt will give these drivers and businesses the confidence to switch away from petrol and diesel cars, making electric journeys to and from one of the country’s most important transport hubs straightforward and sustainable.”
Jonathan Pollard, chief commercial officer at Gatwick Airport, says the charging facility will help meet the increasing need for EV charging infrastructure at the airport, including the growing number of passengers who own EVs.
“The new charging infrastructure will also benefit people right across our community, including thousands of staff who live locally, businesses looking to introduce electric vehicle fleets – even those operating busses and trucks – and also local residents who may be considering buying an electric-powered car but were undecided due to the lack of charging facilities,” Pollard adds.
The Norwich electric forecourt will mirror the set up at Gatwick and provide access to East Anglia for EV drivers. It is scheduled to open in April 2022.
Several other electric forecourt sites now also have planning permission, including Uckfield, Gateshead, Plymouth and Bromborough, with more than 30 additional sites also under development.
Gridserve confirms its electric hubs will open at motorway service stations across the UK by the second quarter of 2022, with the majority planned to be installed by the end of March. A further 50 electric hub sites will follow in a second phase.
Each electric hub features 6-12 x 350kW ultra high-power chargers with contactless payment and can add up to 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes, the company adds.
Last month, Gridserve used Cop26 to launch a partner network that opens its 'Sun to Wheel' ecosystem to those interested in accelerating net-zero transport initiatives.
