Milestone reached at Inverness Inshes Tesco Extra store as multinational retailer celebrates 500th EV charging point
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ELECTRIC vehicle charging facilities offered by a multinational grocery store reached a milestone as the 500th point was introduced at an Inverness branch.
Tesco Extra at Inshes Retail Park celebrated the opening as part of Tesco's campaign to boost local infrastructure offered at their retail points.
According to information provided by Tesco, this milestone represents a saving of 8,786 tonnes of CO2 compared with travelling the same distance in a typical car with an internal combustion engine.
Free charging sessions on the UK-wide network have surged from 500,000 in April 2021 to more than two million by the end of February 2022, and were introduced to satisfy a 300 per cent boom in demand.
Stephen Macleod, store manager at Tesco Inverness Inshes Extra, said: “I’m hugely proud that our store has been chosen for such a brilliant and sustainable milestone and I’m excited to do every little bit we can help to support our customers, our colleagues and our planet every day.
“The new EV charging ports are a fantastic addition to our store and we’re happy to be providing this vital infrastructure right on our doorstep.”
The network is a collaboration between Tesco, Volkswagen and Pod Point which launched in 2019.
The charging points are said to have provided more than 41 million miles of free electric driving to motorists – the equivalent of travelling from Earth to the moon and back 85 times.
Jason Tarry, CEO at Tesco UK & ROI, said: “We’re thrilled to see the rollout of free EV charging at our retail stores gather pace.
“The network is helping customers visiting Tesco who need to save time and charge while they shop. This latest milestone highlights the commitment across the business to our goal of carbon neutrality in the UK by 2035.”
Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth said: “I’m pleased that Tesco continues to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles through new charging locations. By leading the way in the provision of charge points to customers, Tesco is supporting our commitment to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.
“With sales of electric vehicles in Scotland rapidly increasing thanks to government incentives and support, we’ve outlined in our new draft vision for public charging infrastructure the role that public and private sector investment will have to play to expand charging networks at the scale and at the pace needed across Scotland.
“Charging networks, such as the partnership through Tesco, Volkswagen and Pod Point, play an important role in the wider EV charging mix and it’s welcome news for our air quality and environment that their network has offered over 41 million miles of free electric driving across the UK.”
Sarah Cox, head of marketing at Volkswagen UK, said: “At Volkswagen we want to make carbon neutral mobility accessible to everyone. That’s why we’ve made sure these chargers aren’t just for Volkswagens and can be used by any electric car brand.
“It’s hugely encouraging that drivers from over 220 models from almost 40 different brands have already benefited from free, green top ups while shopping at Tesco.”
Erik Fairbairn, Pod Point founder and CEO, said: “The partnership is continuing to make a significant and very visible contribution to the UK’s charging infrastructure, giving drivers the confidence to transition to electric.
“Pod Point's mission is to put an EV chargepoint everywhere you park and we’re delighted to see so many more shoppers up and down the country reap the benefits as we continue the rollout.”
The latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that 190,727 battery electric vehicles were registered in the UK in 2021, an increase of 76.3 per cent on 2020 as the drive to 2030’s electrification deadline continues.
Electric vehicle drivers can visit Zap Map to check charger availability across the UK.
