GRIDSERVE has installed the highest number of High Power electric vehicle (EV) charging bays in the company’s history in 2023, with more than 300 charging bays added across Electric Super Hubs and Electric Retail Hubs – triple the number opened in 2022.
A record December saw more High Power charging bays opened in one month than in the whole of 2022, with new Electric Super Hubs, Electric Retail Hubs and the chargers at the new London Gatwick Electric Forecourt® now in operation. The rapid expansion means there are now over 1,200 charging bays across the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway with over 180,000 charging sessions recorded each month.
Across the whole of 2023, GRIDSERVE delivered over 1.9 million charging sessions, powering over 160 million zero emission miles. The Great British summer getaway meant August was recorded as the busiest month with Fridays, on average, the busiest day for charging.
Toddington Harper, CEO of GRIDSERVE, said: “It has been another fantastic year for GRIDSERVE and the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway. We are committed to delivering the best EV charging possible at locations where drivers need them most and will continue working as hard as possible with our partners to ensure class-leading charging experiences. It is reassuring to see the monthly increases in EV adoption across the UK as more drivers make the decision to switch to electric. We are looking forward to accelerating the rollout of reliable High Power charging across the UK at speed and scale in 2024 and beyond.”
The growth this year includes the installation of Electric Super Hubs at Motorway Service Areas in partnership with providers, Moto and Roadchef. Consisting of a minimum of six 350kW-capable chargers each, Electric Super Hubs are vital to getting drivers back on the road whilst travelling on busy motorways and A-roads
At Moto sites, GRIDSERVE has continued the rollout of Electric Super Hubs, with new locations including Moto Kinross, the most northerly Electric Super Hub, Moto Cardiff West and Moto Blyth. As well as these new locations, GRIDSERVE has also expanded several key locations to meet demand, such as 12 bays at Pease Pottage and the 24-bay Exeter site. In another first for GRIDSERVE, this year also saw the use of fully-electric excavators to further minimise its environmental impact during the construction of the Moto Scotch Corner Electric Super Hub.
The first Electric Super Hubs were also opened at Roadchef locations in the first year of the new partnership. Sites include Roadchef Watford Gap North and South, known as one of the UK’s first Motorway Service Areas, as well as Chester and Sandbach. Electric Super Hubs at Roadchef Clacket Lane East and West and Maidstone add vital charging to some of the UK’s busiest roads. Further locations will be opening in the New Year.
The GRIDSERVE Electric Highway has also expanded with new Electric Retail Hubs, providing convenient charging at places such as local garden centres and retail parks. Charging bays are now open at Dobbies Swindon, Dobbies Leicester, Dobbies Liverpool and Dobbies Milton Keynes, with further locations at Dobbies Gloucester and Edinburgh planned for the New Year. Other key retail locations include Abbey Retail Park, St Ives in Cambridgeshire, with many more to follow in 2024.
Electric Forecourts® remain an important part of the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway. The chargers at London Gatwick Electric Forecourt® are now open with 30 charging bays available to use, along with restrooms for those travelling during the busy Christmas period. The building will be fully operational in January. Construction has already begun on the next Electric Forecourt® at Stevenage, close to the famous Knebworth Estate with a scheduled opening of late 2024, exactly 50 years after the first ever Knebworth Festival in 1974.
As more drivers start to the use the network, GRIDSERVE is committed to providing the best charging experience to all drivers and building a trusted reputation. This includes the introduction of on-site charging attendants at key Electric Super Hubs during busy periods, as well as a new 24/7 in-house customer service call centre helping to radically improve both the wait time and quality of response. These improvements were reflected by the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway being awarded best public charging network by Fleet News and the GREENFLEET awards this year.
About GRIDSERVE
GRIDSERVE is a tech-enabled sustainable energy business whose purpose is to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change. It has pioneered a Sun-to-Wheel ecosystem that includes the most advanced hybrid solar + battery farms, award-winning electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and a customer-centric electric vehicle leasing platform.
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