FUTURE PROOFING RETAIL PARKS

The White City Retail Park, located in Manchester and managed by The Derwent Group, is home to leading retailers and food & beverage outlets such as Aldi, Costa Coffee, Home Bargains, M&S Foodhall, Nandos, Natuzzi, Currys, Dreams, and Halfords. With 658 parking spaces, the site serves as a bustling shopping and dining destination.

To remain competitive in an era of increasing environmental consciousness and rising EV adoption, the park needed to address evolving shopper expectations. Customers now demand greener choices, especially as Greater Manchester sees exponential growth in EV registrations, with over 50,000 electric vehicles on the road in 2023 alone, a figure expected to double by 2025.

• Provide a premium, high-capacity charging experience for visitors.
• Integrate seamlessly with the existing infrastructure of the park.
• Align with and support Derwent’s environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives.
• Establish a new sustainable, long-term revenue stream for the site owner.
• Attract new customers who were not previously utilising the retail park.

The solution includes:

• High-Performance Charging: Deployment of 10 ultra-rapid chargers, delivering up to 300kW for visitors needing quick top-ups.
• Central Hub Placement: The charging hub was positioned centrally within the park to ensure maximum convenience for both shoppers and diners.
• Infrastructure Enhancement: Local power network upgrades to support highcapacity chargers, ensuring reliable performance with minimal disruption to daily operations.
• No-Cost, Full-Service Model: As with all Be.EV projects, the solution was delivered at zero cost to The Derwent Group, including funding, design, installation, and ongoing maintenance.