Sainsbury’s has launched a new EV charging business that will give drivers access to ultra-rapid EV charging points across its stores.
Smart Charge is currently available at around 200 ultra-rapid charging bays in more than 20 Sainsbury’s stores, with plans to expand to over 750 bays at more than 100 stores by the end of 2024.
This will put Sainsbury’s in the top five providers of ultra-rapid charging in the UK, with the brand being the first and only EV charging business to be fully owned and managed end-to-end by a UK supermarket.
It comes as new research commissioned by Sainsbury’s found that 80% of EV users admitted to avoiding long journeys because of not wanting to charge at public EV charging stations, as 40% said chargers are often broken, 36% said there was not enough charging bays, and 33% were frustrated with the speed of service.
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The supermarket giant’s 150kW Smart Charge bays allow users to fully charge their vehicle in as little as 30 minutes, providing enough power to travel up to 200 miles.
Many of the chargers also charge even faster if a driver’s vehicle battery can accept higher charger speeds, up to 300kW.
Sainsbury’s director of property, procurement and EV Ventures Patrick Dunne said: “With our new network of easy-to-use and reliable charging points conveniently located in our supermarkets, Smart Charge will make a real difference to EV drivers in the UK.
“As one of the few providers to be focusing exclusively on cutting-edge ultra-rapid 150kW+chargers, 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.”
He added: “We’re committed to reducing our carbon emissions and reaching Net Zero in our operations by 2035 and offering a national EV charging service forms part of this pledge. Our new charging points are powered by the same 100% renewable electricity that powers the rest of our estate.”
