An electric car being charged up (Niall Carson/PA)
Free charging points for electric cars are to be rolled out at hundreds of Tesco stores from next year, the supermarket has announced.
Tesco, the largest supermarket chain in the UK, will work with Volkswagen to develop more than 2,400 electric vehicle (EV) charging points by 2020.
A standard 7kW charger will be free, with a faster charge – 50kW – available for a cost, and customers would be able to charge their cars while they shop.
London-based Pod Point will install the charging points, with the length of time needed to fully charge a vehicle depending on the battery and the car.
Pod Point said a 7kW charger tends to give around 30 miles of range per hour of charge time.
Jason Tarry, chief executive of Tesco UK and Ireland, said: “We want to be the leading electric vehicle energy provider and to support our customers with more sustainable solutions.
“Our EV network provides a sustainable choice for our customers, and charging while they shop is another little help to make their lives easier.”
Geraldine Ingham, of Volkswagen UK, said the plans “underline the scale and ambition of our electric car programme in the UK”.
