Plans for the first of more than 100 Electric Forecourts have been announced today (Tuesday 25th June) by Gridserve, as part of a £1 billion programme to create ultra-rapid EV charging hubs for private and fleet drivers.
Braintree is the first location to be worked on, situated close to major routes and featuring 24 ultra-rapid chargers, a coffee shop, and supermarket. The site will have dedicated zones for private drivers and fleet users.
Set to be powered by 100% renewable electricity, the Electric Forecourts will include 350 kW charge points, with options to upgrade to 500 kW and 1 MW charging for buses and heavy goods vehicles. The sites will be able to support maximum charging speeds across the units, even when vehicles are being charged simultaneously.
Gridserve is also investing in the infrastructure required to support these hubs, with solar energy capacity included within the plans, capable of providing low-cost energy, and helping keept charging costs down. Battery energy storage will be on site to act as a buffer for when all chargers are being used at maximum power at the same time.
The new hub will be located at the Horizon 120 Business & Innovation Park, planned for Great Notley, Braintree. Planning applications are set to be submitted to the authorities for more than 100 Electric Forecourt sites already secured on main routes across the country, including supporting power supply systems.
