UK's first electric forecourt designed specifically for EVs opens for business

The UK’s first purpose-built “electric forecourt” has opened, offering rapid charging for up to 36 electric vehicles at a time.

The Gridserve site at Braintree, in Essex, is the first of its kind, designed specifically to meet the needs of the growing number of EV drivers.

Its creators say it is the first in a planned £1 billion network of 100 similar facilities being built across the UK over the next five years as the UK moves towards a ban on petrol and diesel vehicles.

The site features 36 charging points capable of charging at up to 350kW, partly powered by solar panels which line the canopy roof. Drivers will pay 24p per kWh - which operators claim is the lowest ultra-high power charging rate on the market – meaning a typical charge from 20 to 80 per cent costs under £10 for an average-size electric vehicle. A tiered pricing structure will be introduced in future.