Electric vehicle (EV) charging sessions on GRIDSERVE – the biggest charging network on U.K. motorways – triple in number in one year following major upgrading…
They tell us:
- Number of charging sessions on UK’s biggest motorway charging network has tripled since June 2021, with a quadrupling of energy supplied, saving more than 20,000 tonnes of CO2
- Up to 99% availability of chargers achieved after one year of GRIDSERVE ownership of the Electric Highway
- All chargers now offer contactless payment, compared to none a year ago
- New competition launched to celebrate the first anniversary of the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway, giving drivers the chance to win 1,000 miles of free charge across the network (please see below)
(UK, 30th June 2022) The number of charging sessions on the UK’s biggest motorway electric vehicle (EV) charging network, the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway, has tripled since June 2021, with a quadrupling of energy supplied, one year since GRIDSERVE acquired the network from Ecotricity and began its sweeping reforms to dramatically improve standards. The average charge time on the network also has also decreased in-line with faster, and more reliable charging.
The GRIDSERVE Electric Highway is now estimated to be one of the most highly utilised charging networks in the UK, now charging more than 100,000 EVs every month with net zero energy.
Over the past year, GRIDSERVE has embarked on a multimillion-pound programme to materially improve dependability, ease of use, and availability of chargers, including upgrading over 160 charging locations with new chargers, delivering an additional 7 High Power Electric Super Hubs across the motorway network – each featuring a bank of 6 to 12 x 350 kW-capable chargers, and opening a new flagship Norwich Electric Forecourt®. Dozens of additional sites are also already under development and in construction.
Charging reliability, EV drivers’ No. 1 priority, soars to up to 99% under GRIDSERVE’s Electric Highway
Reliability, consistently reported as a number one priority for EV drivers, has significantly improved under GRIDSERVE, now standing at up to 99% uptime, with a goal of consistently driving this even higher.
Accessibility has also improved, with contactless payment – previously unavailable at all legacy chargers – now ubiquitous across the network, making it easier than ever to charge and go. Each Electric Super Hub also includes at least one extra-wide accessible charging bay for every 6 EV charging spaces, and across the network, all 3 connection types (CCS, CHAdeMO, and Type 2 for AC) are available, catering for every type of EV.
The rapid and far-reaching rollout has given huge numbers of drivers the confidence to know that they can depend on GRIDSERVE to provide a net zero carbon charge at motorway service areas as they embark on long distance journeys across the UK.
The GRIDSERVE Electric Highway network is now integrated with dozens of maps, apps and navigation platforms, showing real time availability of chargers and supporting journey planning across the UK.
Toddington Harper, Founder and CEO of GRIDSERVE, said: “Only one year ago, we acquired the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway with the aim of making EV driving an enjoyable, ultra-convenient and stress-free experience throughout the UK. From day one, we have been focussed on delivering the best possible charging experience for drivers, and the response has been staggering with more people than ever charging at motorway service stations. I’m proud to say that in just one year, GRIDSERVE has made reliable EV travel across Great Britain possible – from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, and Pembrokeshire to Dover.
“Whilst we have materially improved EV charging across the UK, we have only touched the surface in terms of delivering the full extent of our plans, and it remains our mission to continually improve our network to provide increasingly large numbers of EV drivers with the confidence that they can set off on any length of journey, to anywhere in the country, driving any type of EV, and have a better experience than making the same trip in a petrol or diesel vehicle.”
New competition gives drivers the chance to win 1,000 miles of free charge across the network
Drivers across the country are also invited to join GRIDSERVE in celebrating the one-year anniversary of the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway with the launch of a new competition. Through the competition, five drivers will win 1,000 miles of free charge* across the entire network, including at our Electric Forecourts®.
*Terms and conditions apply, please see here: https://www.gridserve.com/GSElectricHighwayBday/
To enter, drivers must find the GRIDSERVE birthday wrapped chargers hidden across the network and submit an image on Twitter or Instagram tagging GRIDSERVE and using the hashtag #GSElectricHighwayBday, to enter the draw. The competition will close at 23:59 on Sunday 31st July 2022, and winners will be announced on Twitter and Instagram by 11am on Friday 12th August 2022.
The 1,000 miles offer would cover 96 days of an average commute. For parents, this could mean 208 school runs and for those up for a challenge, it could mean completing the National Three Peaks route of 462 miles twice whilst charging on renewable energy on the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway. Available charging sites include the company’s flagship Electric Forecourts in Braintree and Norwich, GRIDSERVE’s new High Power Electric Super Hubs in Rugby, Thurrock, Swansea, Exeter, Burton-in-Kendal, Heston and Severn View, plus Electric Hubs across the motorway network and popular retail destinations, enabling journeys nationwide.
For non-media enquiries please contact: connect@gridserve.com +44 333 1234 333
About GRIDSERVE (www.gridserve.com)
They tell us:
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.
GRIDSERVE is transforming the EV charging experience and accelerating the decarbonisation of transport with the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway charging network that is supplied by net zero carbon energy. The GRIDSERVE Electric Highway is a national public charging infrastructure covering 85% of the UK’s motorway service areas and some of the UK’s busiest retail destinations. The latest additions to the network include Electric Forecourts® at Braintree and Norwich and an ever-growing number of Electric Super Hubs with 6 to 12 350 kW-capable High Power Chargers.
GRIDSERVE is interested in connecting with people and businesses interested in leasing electric vehicles, project developers, landowners, land agents, local authorities, and multiple other potential partners who share our vision in collaborating across all the critical power infrastructure markets we operate in, including Electric Forecourts®, hybrid solar farms and remote power solutions.
[ii] Terms and conditions apply, see here: https://www.gridserve.com/GSElectricHighwayBday/