The companies behind free electric car charging points say they hope it will help encourage more drivers to opt for greener vehicles.
Volkswagen and Tesco have partnered to install the new facilities at the supermarket’s Extra store in Lichfield.
The Pod Point charging areas at the Church Street site allow drivers to top up their cars while they shop.
It is part of a nationwide rollout which will see Tesco introduce 2,400 electric vehicles points at stores across the UK.
Jason Tarry, Tesco’s CEO, said:
“We’re now well on our way to achieving our ambition of installing more than 2,400 EV charging bays across 600 Tesco stores.
“Providing customers with charging points offers them a sustainable choice and giving them the opportunity to charge their car for free while they shop is a little help to make this easier.”
Jason Tarry, Tesco
Owners of electric cars made by any manufacturer can use the 7kW charging points for free by downloading the Pod Point app.
Erik Fairbairn, from Pod Point, added:
“We’re really excited to be providing drivers in Lichfield more opportunities to charge while they shop.
“Working with Tesco and Volkswagen to roll out smart, easy-to-use chargepoints across the UK will help accelerate EV adoption.”
Erik Fairbairn, Pod Point
You’ll have to spend a long time in the shop to get anything decent out of a 7kW charger… Oh, maybe that’s the point. Ka-ching!
Brilliant! All I need now is to be able to afford to buy an electric car, which will probably be sometime never.
Half the owners of cars in Tesco car park are taking advantage of the 3 hours and are in the town centre so those chargers will be in use for all 3 hours. Also will they be multi brand because I believe not all EV cars have the same plug,
Come on people why so negative.
You go shopping. And u park your car ,juicing up while you shop.most cars now have between 30-40kw battery so an hour’s shopping would give you about 25-40 miles range. Why complain. Embrace the change
It’s the cost not only of the car but also the electricity as one young man said to me.
IBBS I go 80 miles each way on a Saturday to go fishing,and some times 300 miles to see my grand children in Cumbria what do you suggest I buy that will do that without me having to stop every 50 miles or so for a re charge. It must not cost more than about 25K
Electric cars have around half a tonne of lithium ion batteries in them.
I can see in a few years, a massive problem of these batteries being dumped/ stored all over the world and no one knowing what to do with them.
Nothing is for nothing. All energy costs money. This can only be a loss leader for a short time. This is not a response to the global climate problem, just a promotional opportunity. The real costs of electric cars are yet to be seen. Just imagine the colossal amount of electrical power generation it will take to cover the equivalent of the present petrol volume being used. First create a market and then exploit it; this time with government complicity.