At the end of December it was announced that the store Tesco Rainham Extra will be one of the first Tesco stores to have Electric Vehicle (EV) charge points installed. This means customers will be able to get full charge, for most vehicles, in around one hour.
During first installations the focus was on mainly 7KW (fast) chargers, which are free for customers. Tesco are now focusing on delivering a number of 50KW (rapid) chargers which are available for customers at a small cost, in line with market rates.
The role out of EV chargers is part of a programme which forms Tesco's broader commitment to support UK decarbonisation efforts. Tesco were the first UK retailer to align their carbon reduction targets with the Paris Climate commitments and they have managed to achieve a 36% reduction in carbon emissions since 2015.
Jon Cruddas MP commented: "I was pleased to hear of Tesco's commitment to install rapid Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points at stores across the UK, and it was great to hear that Tesco Rainham Extra in my constituency would be one of the pilot stores. If we are to meet national decarbonisation targets in the coming years, which will inevitably include the phasing out of petrol and diesel vehicles, then we need the green infrastructure in place to do it."