Discover the first real service station 100% dedicated to electric cars

GRIDSERVE has just opened the first service station worthy of the name 100% dedicated to electric cars, with 36 fast chargers powered by green energy, and a store with some catering, just like in a classic gas station . The station is the first in a network of 100 service stations that GRIDSERVE plans to build in the UK.

Electric cars may have many strengths, but adoption is slow. It must be said that theThe range of most current electric cars is rather limited and recharging, even fast, takes some time. For now, charging your electric car comes down to finding a charging station. There are sometimes two or three in conventional gas stations, but Usually, charging stations are far from stores where you can relax while the car is charging.

This is one of the problems with current charging stations, including the network of Superchargers installed by Tesla. To make matters worse, sometimes you have to queue at certain charging points, which, given the loading times of these vehicles, can quickly become discouraging. Fortunately, things are moving fast. As Electrek reports, the first real service station 100% dedicated to electric cars has just been opened by the firm GRIDSERVE in Great Britain, near Braintree, Essex, in the south of England.

This gas station, called Electric Forecourt, looks like any other gas station. With its “pumps” (here it is 36 fast chargers) under porches in jail, and a store, with a café, a post office, a book and magazine merchant (WHSmith) , in addition to toilets, relaxation area with bicycles that generate electricity. A classic top-up from 20% to 80% costs on average 10 pounds sterling, or 11 euros. The electricity you buy there is clean. It is produced both on-site, via solar panels that cover the store roof and porches, and off-site via solar farms operated by GRIDSERVE.

Also read: How to pay less for charging your electric car?

GRIDSERVE specifies that a 6 MWh battery installed in the service station makes it possible to manage the energy supply and take advantage of tariffs that always remain low. The CEO of GRIDSERVE explains: “Recharging electric cars should be easy and not cause anxiety, which is why we have designed our ‘Electric Forecourts’ entirely around the needs of drivers, updating the traditional model of the petrol station for a zero carbon world while delivering the confidence people need to go electric today – a decade before the 2030 ban on gasoline and diesel cars [au Royaume-Uni, ndlr] “.

This service station is the first in a network that will eventually have around a hundred. There are currently no plans for expansion on the continent. Nevertheless, this initiative gives a overview of what competing operators could implement there in the coming years.

Source: Electrek