Heart of England Co-op has teamed up with electric vehicle charging business Zest to install ultra-rapid echarging points at nine of its convenience stores, with more in the pipeline.
The first branches to benefit are Attleborough, and Coniston Way in Nuneaton and Rotherham Road and Alfall Road in Coventry. Work began in August and should be completed over the next few weeks.
The society’s new £2.4m store at Flying Fields in Southam is also included in the programme, along with sites at Lower Heathcote, Wellesbourne, Hillmorton and Balsall Common.
The chargers allow drivers to easily pay via contactless, through the Zest app, or through roaming networks such as Octopus Electroverse, Allstar and Plugsurfing. Each location will have between two and four charging points.
“Zest is the UK’s fastest-growing investor-operator of public electric vehicle (EV) chargers,” said Heart of England’s head of property services John Bridges. “Their mission is to make the transition to electric vehicles a realistic option for everyone by accelerating access to abundant, convenient and reliable public charging.
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“This multi-year agreement is great news for our shoppers and members who will benefit from a seamless charging experience, as will the wider community.
“It’s also great news for the environment and reflects our commitment to support more sustainable communities. We have invested millions in green initiatives over the past few years, and the environment remains a major consideration in everything we do.”
Robin Heap, CEO of Zest, said: “Partnering with Heart of England Co-op allows us to bring reliable ultra-rapid EV charging to even more communities across the Midlands. By installing charging facilities at convenient retail locations, we’re making it easier for drivers to charge as part of their everyday routines while supporting the transition to cleaner transport.
“As organisations with strong community-focused values, we’re proud to work together to help make sustainable travel more equitable for customers across the region.”
As part of Heart of England Co-op’s sustainability drive, every store with car parking facilities is being assessed for faster charging points.
