Electric car owners are set to benefit from a huge expansion of EV chargers at supermarkets and shops around the country.

Marks & Spencer and BP Pulse have signed an exclusive agreement to bring high-speed electric vehicle charge points to M&S stores across the UK. The agreement will see M&S and BP Pulse, BP’s electric vehicle charging business, work together to install an initial 900 electric vehicle charge points in around 70 of M&S’ national stores in the next two years.

The roll-out will significantly expand BP Pulse’s network, growing the UK’s charging network and adding up to 40,000 kWhs of charging capacity to the UK’s EV infrastructure.

In order to provide the appropriate speed for each need, a combination of ultra-fast (≥150kW) and rapid (≥50kW) charge points will be installed during the roll-out.

Fifteen rapid (50kW) charge points are already live and open to the public at M&S Maidstone Eclipse and Southgate following successful pilot installations.

Over 250 BP Pulse charge points are already available at over 60 BP-operated forecourts which also offer M&S Food.

Akira Kirton, CEO at BP Pulse UK, commented on the new partnership, saying it would help customers and help the companies achieve environmental goals.

Read more: Express

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More than 8,700 chargers installed, bringing total to 37,000 in a 30% increase

British companies installed a record number of public electric car chargers during 2022 as they raced to dominate a fast-growing and potentially lucrative market.

There were more than 8,700 public chargers installed in the UK during the year to 22 December, bringing the total available to more than 37,000, according to Zap-Map, a data company. That represented a 30% year-on-year increase, slower than the 38% annual growth in sales of battery electric cars during the year to November.

Boris Johnson’s government announced a target of 300,000 publicly available chargers by 2030, when the sale of new pure petrol or diesel cars will be banned. Year-on-year growth of 30% in the number of chargers installed would be enough to hit the target, although that would mean annual installations more than doubling to 19,000 by 2025 and accelerating from there.

Despite the scale of the challenge, many in the industry regard the 300,000 target as realistic, according to Ben Nelmes, chief executive of New Automotive, a thinktank. Charger companies have more investment coming in than they can put to work, but problems may remain where local authorities are slow to act, he said.

Chris Pateman-Jones, chief executive of Connected Kerb, which plans to install 190,000 on-street chargers by 2030, said he expected a further significant increase in charger numbers during 2023, but “much more needs to be done if the country is to be EV-ready for 2030”.

Read more: TheGuardian

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Marks & Spencer (M&S) has signed an exclusive agreement with bp’s electric vehicle (EV) charging business, bp pulse, to install 900 EV chargepoints across 70 of its national stores over the next two years.

The announcement follows the successful pilot installation of 12 rapid (50kW) chargepoints at M&S stores in Eclipse, Southgate and Maidstone.

The roll-out will include a combination of ultra-fast (≥150kW) and rapid (≥50kW) chargepoints that will add 40,000kWhs of charging capacity to the EV infrastructure in the UK, said the retailer.

Each chargepoint will have a minimum capacity of 50kW with either standard grid connection or a battery-integrated solution. M&S have said that as many sites as possible will also include at least one ultra-fast 150kW chargepoint.

Bp pulse will supply, install, operate and maintain these chargepoints.

Commenting on the agreement, Sacha Berendji, director of operations at M&S said: “EV charging is the latest feature to ensure we have a store estate fit for the future, to help our customers live lower carbon lives. We know that services like EV charging are in demand from our customers, so we’re delighted to be offering this service and give more reasons for customers to shop with us.”

Read more: Current+

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