TESCO has gone live with four free electric vehicle (EV) charging points for customers at its Craigavon Extra store.
And with registration of EV vehicles in Northern Ireland rising by 190 per cent between 2019 and 2020, the retailer has pledged to instal charge points at another 10 of its outlets across the region.
It is part of a wider ambition to have at least 2,400 charging points at 600 UK stores by the end of this year (more than 2,000 are already in place in a partnership Tesco has formed with Volkswagen and Pod Point).
Tesco says the average electric car owner will be able to get around 22.5 miles of free charge while plugging in for a 50-minute shop - or the equivalent of 1,170 miles a year of free electricity.
Stephen Cochrane, Tesco Northern Ireland stores director, said: “More of our customers are switching to EVs, so I’m delighted they will be able to top up the charge in their cars at our stores. I look forward to many more using these charging points as we roll them out across Northern Ireland.”
Erik Fairbairn, founder and chief executive at Pod Point said: “The partnership has made a massive contribution to charging infrastructure in the UK and we’re thrilled to have entered Northern Ireland with the first of many charging points in Tesco stores in the region.
“Reaching nearly 5,000 electric miles in just four weeks is testament to the rising demand for EVs as more and more people realise the benefits of electric driving. We look forward to powering up even more Northern Ireland Tesco stores as we push ahead with our roll out.”
Volkswagen UK head of marketing Sarah Cox added said: “We are committed to an EV future, with not only a growing range of exceptional vehicles on offer, but also numerous charging facilities via this partnership with Tesco and Pod Point.
“Further electrifying Northern Ireland’s Tesco stores for EV drivers is just one more way Volkswagen is proud to help the UK on its journey to an electric-driven future.”
