GRIDSERVE has opened a new Compact Electric Forecourt in Norwich, featuring 36 electric vehicle (EV) chargers.
Describing the forecourt as a first-of-its-kind EV experience facility, GRIDSERVE said it is a brand-new design with a smaller footprint than the first site at Braintree.
The 36 chargers on site at the Electric Forecourt – which includes 22 high power chargers with up to 350kW of power – are supplied by 100% renewable energy, with the other chargers including eight Tesla Superchargers and six low power AC chargers.
The Norwich Electric Forecourt also offers visitors without EVs the opportunity to learn more and chat with EV gurus, while in the coming weeks visitors will be able to test drive electric cars from a variety of brands as part of GRIDSERVE Car Leasing.
The company is also offering 1,000 miles of free charging for every car leased until the end of June.
Other facilities at the Electric Forecourt include WiFi, bookable meeting pods and brands such as Costa Coffee, M&S Food and WHSmith.
“By elevating the facilities above the chargers, we make the best use of the space available and are able to deliver a great EV experience without compromise, even when space is at a premium and sites are more constrained,” Toddington Harper, CEO of GRIDSERVE said.
The opening of the Norwich Electric Forecourt more than doubles the number of high-powered chargers in the region, GRIDSERVE said, with Norwich and the wider east of England having comparatively low EV charger coverage compared to other regions in the UK.
The Electric Forecourt – which forms part of GRIDSERVE’s £1 billion investment into EV charging infrastructure – was constructed with funding from financial services company Novuna.
GRIDSERVE is continuing with its EV charging rollout plans, with other Electric Forecourts in progress including one at Gatwick Airport.
Electric Forecourts with planning permission, meanwhile, include Uckfield, Gateshead, Plymouth an Stevenage, with over 30 additional sites under development as part of its plans to deliver over 100 of the Electric Forecourts.
The rollout of its Electric Hubs, which consist of six or more high-power chargers each, is also continuing, with three new hubs recently becoming operational.
The company also recently completed its upgrade of its legacy motorway EV chargers, with over 300 existing medium power Electric Highway chargers replaced at over 130 motorway services areas since June 2021.
