Gatwick Airport will play a part in the biggest upgrade of motorway electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in UK history.
Sustainable energy infrastructure firm Gridserve has announced that more than 20 ‘Electric Hubs’ will open at motorway service stations across the UK by Q2 2022, with the majority to be installed by the end of March. Each hub will feature six to twelve 350kW ultra high-power chargers with contactless payment and CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, capable of adding up to 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes. A further 50 sites will be rolled out in the next stage.
Two electric forecourts situated adjacent to major transport routes and motorways are also in construction, due to open in 2022. Among these is a flagship site at Gatwick Airport – the first in the world to be hosted at an international airport.
Developed in partnership with Gatwick Airport, the Gatwick Electric Forecourt will serve the tens of millions of passengers, commuters, staff, local residents and businesses that pass through the airport and its surrounding motorway network each year.
Located on the Ring Road South approach to Gatwick’s South Terminal and adjacent to the M23, it will enable 36 EVs to be charged simultaneously, with high-power chargers that can deliver up to 350kW of charging power. Multiple charging connectors will cater for all types of electric cars.
The site is due to open in autumn 2022 and will host a café, waiting lounge with free superfast Wi-Fi, convenience store, children’s play area and a dedicated educational space to increase awareness around electric vehicles. As with all of Gridserve’s chargers, the site will also be supplied with low cost, 100% renewable net zero carbon energy generated by Gridserve’s own solar farms.
Jonathan Pollard, chief commercial officer, Gatwick Airport, said: “This new high-powered charging facility will help meet the increasing need for electric vehicle charging infrastructure at the airport, including the growing number of our passengers who own electric vehicles and need fast, convenient and effective charging facilities.
“The new charging infrastructure will also benefit people right across our community, including thousands of staff who live locally, businesses looking to introduce electric vehicle fleets – even those operating busses and trucks – and also local residents who may be considering buying an electric-powered car but were undecided due to the lack of charging facilities.”
