Gridserve eyes first of 100 EV forecourts in England

More than 100 sites are to be developed under a five-year infrastructure programme valued at around £1 billion.

British company Gridserve announced that it has submitted a planning application to build an ‘Electric Forecourt’ in English town of Braintree.

The Gridserve Electric Forecourt will offer simultaneous rapid charging for fleets, commercial and private vehicles. 24 ultra-fast charging bays are supported by batteries to enable the maximum power requirements of all chargers simultaneously. This includes 350kW chargers with options to upgrade chargers to 500kW. MW charging options for buses and heavy-duty vehicles will also be available at the site.

The UK-wide £1 billion program from Gridserve is one of 11 projects selected by the Department for International Trade. The £5 billion portfolio of energy and infrastructure projects across the UK are supported by the Department to garner interest from global investors.

“Braintree is in the unique position of being the first of over 100 sites across the UK to host a Gridserve Electric Forecourt. Every site will be powered by batteries and supplied by solar energy. With convenient, dependable, ultra-fast charging, we’re making charging an EV as easy as using petrol stations”, said Toddington Harper, CEO, and founder of Gridserve.

In the coming months, the UK company is planning to submit applications for sites in York and Hull, adjacent to two of the UK’s most advanced solar farms which are also being constructed by the British company.