National charging network Be.EV is investing £1.3m into the East Midlands with the deployment of ultra-rapid chargers at retail sites.
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 imminently, the investment will provide 14 ultra- rapid charging bays, with chargers on-site adding 165 miles of range in 20 minutes.
The news comes as the East Midlands has the third lowest rate of EV chargers per 100,000 people in the UK – although sites were selected not just 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 waiting for their car to charge, with retail parks offer such an opportunity.
Be.EV offers a 39p/kWh subscriber tariff, and one of the longest off-peak charging window in the UK, it claimed.
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, it added.
Asif Ghafoor, CEO of Be.EV, said:
“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, said:
“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.”
Image courtesy of Green Car Guide
