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Installed by Engie EV Solutions’ GeniePoint arm, the chargers purport to charge most models from flat to a full battery within 45 minutes – up to six times faster than traditional “trickle” charging points.
They have been installed at parking bays intended for customer use, with Morrisons having chosen to locate the chargers at bays on the perimeter of its car parks in a bid to help EV drivers find them and to prevent other drivers from obstructing them.
In order to use the chargers, which are being powered with Engie’s “zero-carbon” electricity, customers will need to register for a free GeniePoint account online or through the firm’s smartphone app. GeniePoint is charging 30p per kWh of charge delivered.
“Customers are beginning to take part in the biggest revolution in car design since the internal combustion engine was first developed; we need to follow them and give them the opportunity to charge while they shop,” Morrisons’ fuel and services manager Andrew Ball said.
The 50-100kW chargers are the first to be launched since Morrisons signed a deal with GeniePoint to install 100 EV charging points on its estate by the end of 2019. The retailer claims it is still on track to meet this deadline, with a further 50 charging points earmarked for completion in November and December.
With EVs set to account for more than half of new car sales by 2040, Morrisons is one of several corporates to have invested in charging infrastructure in recent times. In August 2018, Lidl announced it would install EV chargers at 20 of its stores across Ireland. Since then, charging offerings have been launched or expanded by the likes of Tesco, M7 Real Estate , Mitchells & Butlers and Marstons.
Sarah George
Wow, 12p per mile for an electric vehicle compared to compared to 14p per mile diesel and 15p per mile petrol. Not much saving given The much higher price of the electric vehicle. domestic price around 6p per kilowatt hour compared to this rate of 30p-how do they justify that?
Why on the perimeter? If we really want to encourage a switch to EV then surely priority should be given to these and charge points should be located in the main areas of the car park, under a shelter, right next to the trolley point.
With ANPR it’s easy enough to monitor and the trolley herders can keep an eye on the spaces and put a polite message on the windscreen of non EV cars to remind them not to park in the wrong space.
@Colin – who are you getting your lecky from at 6p/kwhr? I pay 13.2p/kwhr so twice what you seem to get. Even so I agree 30p/kwhr is excessive given the SVR from the Big 6 is around 15p/kwhr