This is fantastic news. Ecotricity + Gridserve collaboration for motorway charging overhaul

[Stuart Wright]

Long overdue, but still good news.

 

[BillyWhizz]

great news

 

[Chrispydoc]

 

[PaulR]

Long overdue, but still good news.

Has anyone seen any evidence that the changes are taking place?

 

[Les burrows]

Has anyone seen any evidence that the changes are taking place?

Yeh just done my first long drive in my MG5 from wigan to Buckinghamshire 215 miles each way stopped on my return at junction 1 on M6 where it joins the M1 new Ecotricity/ Gridserve station there loads of chargers of all types fantastic set up just one word of warning may help some people the cafes toilets etc are a little way from the chargers so if you have anyone with walking difficulties you can quite easily drop them off first outside this service area before you plug in to charge

 

[Jake]

Yeh just done my first long drive in my MG5 from wigan to Buckinghamshire 215 miles each way stopped on my return at junction 1 on M6 where it joins the M1 new Ecotricity/ Gridserve station there loads of chargers of all types fantastic set up just one word of warning may help some people the cafes toilets etc are a little way from the chargers so if you have anyone with walking difficulties you can quite easily drop them off first outside this service area before you plug in to charge

Good to know. Thanks Les. I am planning to use this stop next Monday.

 

[Les burrows]

Hi just an update in my post #5 in this thread above I talked about the Gridserve station at Rubgy junction 1 on the M6 this is a MOTO service’s and they MOTO are going to do several more of these on there services areas plus today on YouTube I found the video below on the Modern Heroes channel, he as also done another one about Corley services at which there is an INSTAVOLT charging set up 7 southbound 8 northbound all this is great for us EV owners but I think it’s a shame that these two great charging stations are only about 2/3 miles apart on the same road when there is others parts off the country that there is very few but things are on the up
I talked about my first long trip in #5 but forgot to add on my way down to bucks I used the M40 and stopped to top up a little at Banbury where there is also 8 INSTAVOLT chargers and a costa coffee shop the manger there said very soon all Costa drive throughs will have INSTAVOLT chargers on there site as they Costa have joined up with INSTAVOLT so more great news so in the words of the song
THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER so come on all together now THINGS C—LOL

 

[Les burrows]

InstaVolt to install rapid chargers at 200 Costa Coffee Drive-Thrus​

Costa Coffee and charge point network InstaVolt have announced a partnership to install rapid electric vehicle (EV) chargers at up to 200 Costa Coffee Drive-Thru sites across the UK.
The partnership will see InstaVolt’s state-of-the-art rapid chargers placed at new and existing stores, making it quick and easy for drivers to recharge their EVs while refuelling with a Costa coffee. The new charging devices will add to the existing InstaVolt network of over 550 charging devices.
The companies’ efforts will increase the accessibility of rapid charging technology, delivering charging speeds of up to 120kW to EV owners across the UK. InstaVolt’s ‘open charger’ model enables anyone who visits any participating Costa Coffee Drive-Thru site to use its charging points on a pay-as-you-go basis, boosting visibility and ease of charging – often seen as a stumbling block to the adoption of EVs amongst consumers.
News of the forthcoming installations comes after InstaVolt worked with Welcome Break to open a rapid charging hub on the M6 in March. Furthermore, InstaVolt – which owns, installs and maintains rapid electric vehicle charging units all over the country – recently announced it is joining forces with the AA in an effort to support EV drivers across the UK.
Adrian Keen, Chief Executive Officer at InstaVolt, said:
“We are on a mission to offer InstaVolt rapid chargers across easily accessible and popular locations throughout the country. This partnership with Costa Coffee will further support in the ever-increasing drive towards EV adoption across the UK.
“One of the biggest barriers to customers making the switch to green clean vehicles is often a perceived lack of public car charge points. We are proud to be partnering with such a well known and loved brand to build out the charging network and deliver industry leading charging technology to brand new locations.”
James Hamilton, Costa Coffee UK&I Property Director, said:
“As the Nation’s Favourite Coffee Shop, we want to ensure we’re playing our part in enhancing our customers’ experience as they switch to more sustainable models of transport in that all important step to tackle climate change. As we continue to safely re-open our stores and deliver our ambitious UK&I growth plans, we are proud to partner with InstaVolt to embed charge points across multiple Drive-Thru locations, contributing to the UK’s ever-growing EV charging infrastructure.
“It’s exciting that in the time it takes for our consumers to order and enjoy their favourite Costa coffee, they can add an extra 100 miles in range and help our country reach its net-zero ambition.”
InstaVolt’s technology delivers rapid charge via a simple, contactless payment and doesn’t require a customer subscription. The 120 kW charge points can add 220 miles of range in half an hour.
In a recent Zap-Map survey, Instavolt came second overall for the third year running in the UK’s top ranking electric vehicle networks, also coming in top place for multi-brand networks.

 

[Les burrows]

Told yeh THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER​

Franklin Energy to install EV charging hub in Brent Cross​

Hammerson and Aberdeen Standard Investments, joint owners of the flagship destination Brent Cross, have unveiled plans for a landlord-owned electric vehicle (EV) charging facility at Brent Cross Shopping Centre. A 236-bay EV charging hub will be installed at the centre, and the hub will become part of Franklin Energy’s LiFe Network.
The hub will be installed and operated by Franklin Energy – and should be completed in 2026. The chargers will be supplied by EVBox and installed over a number of phases. Initially, 50 22kW charging points will be installed in the shopping centre’s multi-storey car park, along with two 350kW ultra-rapid units in the Western overflow car park. These will be completed by the end of 2021.
Brent Cross Shopping Centre, a large shopping centre in north London, is located by the Brent Cross interchange and attracted 15–16 million shoppers a year as of 2011.
The fast chargers will take 1-2 hours to fully charge a car battery, providing ample time for customers to enjoy the many retail and leisure offerings available at Brent Cross and complements the average time taken for a visit, which, prior to the pandemic, averaged at 95 minutes.
Franklin Energy says that the hub will not only benefit existing customers visiting the centre but will also provide charging points for cars passing by on the nearby M1, A41 and A406 via the North Circular, which, pre-pandemic, recorded c. 80 million cars passing through Brent Cross’ interchange every year.
Rob Byrne, Managing Director of Franklin Energy, said:
“We look forward to working with Hammerson and Aberdeen Standard Investments to install a new rapid and fast charging hub in anticipation of the mass adoption of EVs amongst the large customer base of Brent Cross Shopping Centre and more widely in the UK. It is a great initiative that reflects the forward-thinking views of Brent Cross’ major stakeholders, and we can’t wait to begin the installation process.”
Franklin Energy’s LiFe Network is expected to have 5,000 public chargers by 2025.