The much-criticised Ecotricity Electric Highway network of motorway electric car chargers has been sold to well-funded energy business Gridserve.
Bosses are promising a significant ramp-up of investment in the ageing network of motorway chargers.
Every existing charger will be replaced with newer, faster chargers – and all will feature contactless payment.
Gridserve, which already held a 25 percent stake in Ecotricity, points to its new flagship Moto motorway services on the M6 in Rugby as an example of what to expect: the site features 12 ultra-rapid 350kW chargers.
Ecotricity founder Dale Vince admitted “the Electric Highway needs a growth spurt, to make sure that it stays ahead of driver demand.
“The Electric Highway needs an owner with access to serious funding and real commitment to the cause.”
The first Electric Highway chargers were installed a decade ago. Today, it remains the network that delivers more miles per year than any other – however, many of the chargers are still the original, slow 7kW units.
Gridserve CEO Toddington Harper promised “the upgraded network will provide the confidence for millions more people to make the successful transition to electric vehicles in the earliest possible timeframes”.
The FT reports government ministers want at least six superfast charging pints at each motorway service area by 2023.
Transport minister Rachel Maclean stressed that “we need to do a lot more on the infrastructure side of things.
“We want people to undertake those longer journeys and, more importantly, to have an electric vehicle as their main car.”
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