bp pulse opens first EV charging hub at M&S store
BP pulse has announced that it has opened its first electric vehicle charging hub as part of its exclusive agreement to roll out EV charging at M&S stores across the UK.
The hub, located at the M&S store in Cheshunt, is the first of a number that are planned to be rolled out across M&S stores in the UK.
The Cheshunt hub features 10 EV charging bays – four ultra-fast 150kW and six rapid 50kW. One of the ultra-fast charging bays is extra-wide to ensure customers who need it have extra room to charge.
The launch of this new hub – and the subsequent planned rollout across more stores in the M&S estate – reflects bp pulse’s approach of deploying high speed, on-the-go charging infrastructure at convenient, strategic locations for its customers. This may include on land owned by longstanding partners such as M&S, new dedicated EV charging sites like the bp pulse Gigahub which opened at the NEC in Birmingham last year or on bp retail sites.
The bp and M&S partnership dates back to 2005 when the first M&S Food store opened on a bp forecourt. Today there are over 300 partnership stores across bp’s network, combining M&S’s high-quality food offer with bp’s expertise in ‘on-the-go’ convenience. Over 150 of these stores now also have bp pulse charging bays.
Akira Kirton, CEO at bp pulse UK, said:
“The opening of our EV charging hub at the M&S store in Cheshunt is a huge milestone; the first of a strategic rollout programme. This is a fantastic option for M&S shoppers, enabling them to top up their EV battery while they enjoy shopping in a brilliant retail destination.
“Convenience is a hugely important part of our aim to develop the UK’s best on-the-go charging network, and this is a compelling example of how we’re offering fast and reliable EV charging where it is convenient for our customers.”
Sacha Berendji, Director of Operations at M&S, said:
“Investing in our stores to make them bigger, better, brighter destinations for the broadest range of customers, including more family shoppers, is a key part of our strategy to Reshape M&S for Growth. EV charging will become an increasingly important part of the store offer. The new Cheshunt hub includes ultra-fast bp pulse charge points, making it quick and convenient for customers to charge while they shop. It’s also an important part of our Plan A roadmap to Net Zero by 2040.”
The rollout of EV charging hubs across the M&S estate is part of bp pulse’s strategy to significantly expand its charging network and support the growth of the UK’s EV infrastructure.
Image courtesy of bp pulse.
