Chargemaster to offer EV points at AA hotels

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure provider Chargemaster is offering to install EV charging points at around 4,000 AA hotels and B&Bs across the country.

The company has said it will work with any AA-inspected establishments interested in taking up the offer to determine the best charging points for their location.

AA president Edmund King with a Chargemaster rapid charger

This could include rapid charging points along high-traffic routes to encourage visitors to stop for a charge on a longer journey or destination chargers being suitable for guests to charge overnight, Chargemaster says.

Chargemaster, which was recently acquired by BP, operates the POLAR charging network, which is described by the company as the largest electric vehicle charging network in the UK, with more than 6,500 public charge points.

Polar

The first hotel to take up the offer is Sandford Springs Hotel in Kingsclere, Hampshire, which is able to offer EV charging to guests and visitors with a 50kW rapid charger, which is available for any EV driver to use on the POLAR network.

David Martell, chief executive of Chargemaster, said: “We believe that within the next five years, all hotels will offer EV charging, just like they provide Wi-Fi today. Our offer for AA hotels is a great opportunity for hotel owners and operators to get a competitive advantage with a facility that could attract hundreds of thousands of customers in the coming years.”

Edmund King OBE, president of the AA, added: “Alongside our automotive heritage, the AA has been involved in the hospitality industry since 1908. We know that when EV drivers are looking for hotels, they will actively seek out those with charging points. We have witnessed enormous changes in both the automotive and hotel sectors over the last 110 years, and we are delighted that our AA recognised hospitality businesses can benefit from this tremendous offer.”