Supermarket chain Tesco has installed EV charging facilities at its 600th location in partnership with Pod Point and Volkswagen.
The latest installation, which fulfils the scheme’s original target, was at a store on the Scottish island of Orkney.
A total of 2,500 charging bays have been provided through the scheme, which has now moved on to its next phase with Pod Point installing Tesco’s first set of 75kW chargers, on a trial basis, to complement the existing 7kW, 22kW, and 50kW chargers.
Tesco UK and ROI CEO Jason Tarry said: “It is with great pride we announce that we have hit our target of providing EV charging at 600 stores across the UK. From Orkney all the way to Southampton customers now have the option to make sustainable choices and we’re giving them somewhere easy and convenient to charge while they shop with us.”
Pod Point founder and CEO Erik Fairbairn said: “Meeting the 600-store target is an awesome achievement and makes the Tesco rollout by far the UK’s biggest retail EV charging network.
“Since 2019, we’ve been giving drivers the confidence to go electric with a secure, reliable and accessible way to top up while they shop.
“We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Tesco and Volkswagen, and with the contribution we’re making to the UK’s charging infrastructure.”
Volkswagen UK head of marketing Sarah Cox said: “We’re really proud of this partnership with Tesco and Pod Point, which has always been about providing sustainable charging access and infrastructure to all BEV and PHEV vehicle owners in the UK.
“Hitting the 600-store milestone means that we are continuing to support as many people as possible to make the switch to electric mobility.”
