Volkswagen and Tesco have announced that they are partnering to install the UK’s largest retail network of electric vehicle EV chargers. The automotive giant and the UK’s largest fuel retailer plan to install over 2,400 EV chargers at over 600 Tesco stores nationwide, by the end of 2021.
The EV chargers and electric car parking bays will be installed by Volkswagen’s official EV charger brand, Pod Point. The installation will see that Tesco Extra and Superstores will be future proofed for years to come.
Tesco’s public EV charge points will allow customers to charge their electric cars using a standard 7Kw fast EV charger. Alternatively, customers can use a rapid 50Kw EV charger at a small cost.
Jason Tarry, CEO of Tesco, said “This is part of our wider commitment to addressing the environmental challenges that matter most to our customers, colleagues and community”.
Erik Fairbairn, CEO of Pod Point, said “This agreement represents a 14% increase in the number of public charge bays in the UK and is a monumental day for electric vehicle drivers”.
The minister of electric vehicles, at the department of transport, has welcomed Tesco’s pledge to roll out rapid EV charger infrastructure at its stores.
Volkswagen currently has two electric cars available on the UK Market, the e-Golf and the e-Up. They have sold around 1,350 electric cars since they went on sale four years ago. However, Volkswagen has plans for a massive expansion. By 2020 it wants to sell an electric version of all its models.
Head of marketing at Volkswagen, Geraldine Ingham, said: “This incredibly exciting partnership with Tesco, powered by Pod Point, underlines the scale and ambition of our electric car programme in the UK”.
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Interested in an EV charger for your home or business? Here at Applegarth Engineering we specialise in the installation of EV chargers for domestic & commercial clients. We install EV chargers in Wirral, Liverpool, Cheshire, Manchester, Lancashire, North Wales and right across the UK. Call us today on 0151 649 8350 to learn more. Alternatively, you can email us at info@applegarth.co.uk and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
