Gridserve has opened a new ‘Electric Forecourt’ at Gatwick Airport.
Arriving as the third installation of such a site by the firm, the new forecourt has the space to charge up to 30 electric vehicles with 100 per cent net zero energy.
Situated on the Ring Road South approach to Gatwick’s South Terminal – and adjacent to the nearby M23 – the new Electric Forecourt includes 22 high-power chargers which can deliver up to 350kW of charging energy. These are some of the most powerful units in the country and could, when connected to a compatible EV, add up to 100 miles of range in five minutes.
The move increases Gatwick’s charging capacity five-fold, too. As with Gridserve’s other Electric Forecourts, the new Gatwick site features a number of convenience stores that EV owners can browse while their car charges up.
Travelling out of @Gatwick_Airport this Christmas? 🎄
Well great news! The chargers are now open at London Gatwick Electric Forecourt®! There is also access to the toilets and seating area.
Stay tuned.. full building coming in early January ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/OeYXDjCr72
— GRIDSERVE Electric Highway (@ElecHighway) December 22, 2023
Toddington Harper, CEO of Gridserve, said: “As we launch our third, and most technologically advanced Electric Forecourt at London Gatwick, we mark a significant milestone in the evolution of sustainable transportation. We are excited to open our first charging facility at an international airport and help support London Gatwick on its journey to net zero.
“Our purpose at Gridserve is to deliver sustainable energy on the scale needed to move the needle on climate change, and this is certainly a project that moves the needle for the airport, and local workers and residents.
This new installation features a Little Fresh store, from ‘upmarket grocery store’ Simply Fresh. Here, visitors tap their contactless payment when they enter the store and can then take the items they want. The store’s technology automatically detects what the shopper has taken – or put back – and creates a ‘virtual basket’. The shopper can then leave the store with their items and they’ll automatically be charged for them using their payment setup on arrival.
Costa Coffee is also situated within the new Electric Forecourt, while visitors are also able to test drive the latest electric vehicles through Gridserve’s EV Gurus service.