WHSmith and Booths onboard with GRIDSERVE electric forecourts
GRIDSERVE has announced a number of retailer partnerships as it prepares to open what is pitched as the UK’s first electric forecourt.
This will be situated near Braintree, Essex and will launch in November. It will be followed by 100 or so more facilities across the UK.
Retailers onboard with the initiative include WHSmith, Costa Coffee, Post Office, Booths and Gourmade, alongside charging infrastructure partners ABB, Tesla, and customer support from the AA.
Finance comes from GRIDSERVE together with Hitachi Capital UK and Innovate UK. 30 electric vehicles can be charged simultaneously at the forecourts. In addition to a retail space, a two-story building houses a waiting lounge, free Wi-Fi, washrooms, a dedicated kid's area, wellbeing area and business meeting room pods.
Toddington Harper, Founder and CEO, GRIDSERVE, says: “Our UK-wide network of over 100 customer focused electric forecourts will eliminate range and charging anxiety by making it easier and cheaper to charge an electric vehicle than to fuel a petrol or diesel alternative.”
“The first of these represents so much more than an electric equivalent of a modern petrol station – it will deliver a fully loaded customer experience, offering the best of British retail and customer service to cater for a full range of consumer and driver needs.”
Toby Keir, Managing Director at WHSmith Travel, comments: “We have been serving customers on their journeys for over 200 years and we understand how important convenience is to people on the go. “
“We’re therefore delighted to be partnering with GRIDSERVE’s electric forecourt to deliver a new first class retail experience, with fantastic service and a tailored product offer. It’s a great concept and we look forward to playing our part over the next hundred years with the future of electric cars.”
Edwin Booth, Executive Chairman at Booths, says: “We’re excited to work with GRIDSERVE to deliver on our one simple aim – to sell the best food and drink available, in attractive stores, staffed with first class assistants.”
“As a family owned retailer with sustainability baked into our core, we couldn’t think of a more fitting opportunity to continue our journey into the south of England.”