UK’s first all-electric forecourt opens in Essex

It is the first of more than 100 electric forecourts set to be built in the UK over the next five years by energy company Gridserve. Located just off the A131, the Braintree forecourt features solar panel canopies over its charging points and gets additional energy from Gridserve’s network of solar farms, including the UK’s first subsidy-free solar farm in Clay Hill.

Electric vehicles critical to post-pandemic UK economy claims report

The site is also home to a 6 MWh battery that helps balance the local grid and can store enough energy to provide around 24,000 miles of EV charge. High power 350 kW chargers can deliver 200 miles of charge in just 20 minutes, with drivers initially paying 24p per kWh of electricity. According to Gridserve this is the cheapest high-power charging rate currently on the market, meaning a typical 20 to 80 per cent charge for an average EV will cost just £10.