Residents of the East Midlands will benefit from a £1.3 million investment from national charging network, Be.EV, to deploy ultra-rapid chargers at retail sites across the region.
Owned by Limes Developments Ltd and Limes Estates Ltd, the three sites — Northgate Retail Park (Newark), Lakeside Retail Park (Scunthorpe) and Panattoni Park, South Normanton — see almost 236,000 cars pass by each day.
With the sites going live over the next few weeks, the investment will provide 14 ultra-rapid charging bays. The chargers on-site can add 165 miles of range in just a short 20-minute stop.
The investment comes at a critical time in the UK’s EV transition. By improving the consistency and quality of EV charging infrastructure across the UK, helps to further encourage people to make the switch to EVs.
The East Midlands has the third lowest rate of EV chargers per 100,000 people in the UK. However, the sites were selected not just based on demand, but also for driver convenience.
In a survey taken last year, 57% of EV drivers preferred to go shopping or get food while they wait for their car to charge. Retail parks offer the perfect location, being situated along major roads whilst also providing a wide array of amenities and facilities.
Be.EV offers some of the most affordable public charging, with a 39p/kWh subscriber tariff and the longest off-peak charging window in the UK.
For the retail site owners, the presence of EV chargers helps to demonstrate its own sustainability commitments, boost footfall to its tenants and increase the land value.
Asif Ghafoor, CEO of Be.EV, says:
“In order for the public to be confident in making the switch to EVs, the UK’s public charging infrastructure must be convenient and reliable.
Nobody wants to sit in the middle of nowhere waiting for their car to charge. People value their time, and by installing EV charging at retail parks we can help to integrate the charging experience with their shopping habits.
For retail park owners, installing EV charging is a no-brainer. Unlike other tenants, chargers don’t take up valuable floor space. Instead, we rent a few parking bays and become a potent attractor for customers and investors, whilst becoming a high-value tenant ourselves.”
Marcus Jolly, MD of the Limes Group, says:
“It has been a pleasure working with Be.EV who deliver a market leading product on time. The addition of ultra-rapid chargers to the Estates will benefit retailers and shoppers alike and future-proof the parks sustainability credentials.”
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