By Guy Taylor
Sainsbury’s has today launched a new EV charging business designed to give customers access to chargepoints at its stores.
Smart Charge will have some 750 bays across more than 100 Sainsbury’s locations by the end of 2024, as the the FTSE 100 retailer aims to tackle the UK’s shortage of electric chargers.
It comes after BT, also listed on London’s premier index, revealed plans this week to repurpose its broadband cable street cabinets into chargepoints, via its startup and digital incubation arm Etc.
A survey commissioned by Sainsbury’s found that 80 per cent of electric vehicle drivers admitted to avoiding long journeys because of problems with the UK’s charging infrastructure. Around 30-40 per cent said they were frustrated by broken chargers, not enough charging bays and the speed of service.
The government has come under fire for missing targets for rolling out chargers on British roads amid looming bans on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.
Motoring group the RAC found last week that 39 per cent of 119 motorway service stations had hit a goal of having at least six ultra-rapid chargers by the end of 2023.
Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s director of property, procurement and EV ventures, said: “As EV ownership continues to grow, it’s shocking to see that an incredible three quarters of EV drivers still suffer range anxiety and many have avoided journeys as a result.”
Referring to the new unit’s network, which features 150kW+ chargers, Dunne said: “Customers can be in and out in as little as half an hour and avoid waiting longer with less powerful alternatives. What’s more, they can even grab a coffee or pick up some groceries while they’re there.”
Anthony Browne, minister for Technology and Decarbonisation, said: “Businesses play a crucial role in the delivery of EV infrastructure, so it’s great to see Sainsbury’s embracing ultra-rapid technology which will benefit EV drivers.”
“Together with industry we’ve supported the installation of over 52,600 chargepoints across the UK, an increase of 44 per cent from last year.”
Smart charge will be the first and only EV charging business to be fully owned and managed by a UK supermarket. Its tech and equipment is provided by the Finland-based EV charging solutions provider Kempower.
