Sainsbury’s to roll out 750 ultra-fast chargers by the end of this year

Sainsbury’s has announced the launch of Smart Charge, a dedicated EV charging business that will give drivers access to ultra-rapid EV charging points across its stores. 

Sainsbury’s commissioned research which found that 80% of EV users avoided long journeys because of not wanting to charge at public EV charging stations. The main impediments being broken chargers (40%), insufficient charging bays (36%) and speed of service (33%).

To counter these perceptions, Sainsbury’s intend to roll out an initial 750+ ultra-rapid charging bays across more than 100 stores by the end of 2024, putting them in the top five providers of ultra-rapid charging in the UK. Smart Charge bays are already available at more than 20 Sainsbury’s stores.

A third (32%) of EV drivers surveyed said they have yet to benefit from using an ultra-rapid charger. The 150kW Smart Charge bays will allow users to fully charge their vehicle within 30 minutes, or faster if a driver’s vehicle battery can accept higher charger speeds, up to 300kW.

All the charging hubs will offer CCS2 connectors and most of them will also offer CHAdeMO connectors.

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Director of Property, Procurement & EV Ventures, said: ‘As EV ownership continues to grow, it’s shocking to see that an incredible three quarters of EV drivers still suffer range anxiety and many have avoided journeys as a result.

‘With our new network of easy-to-use and reliable charging points conveniently located in our supermarkets, Smart Charge will make a real difference to EV drivers in the UK. As one of the few providers to be focusing exclusively on cutting-edge ultra-rapid 150kW+chargers, customers can be in and out in as little as half an hour and avoid waiting longer with less powerful alternatives. What’s more, they can even grab a coffee or pick up some groceries while they’re there.

‘We’re committed to helping to reduce carbon emissions and offering a national EV charging service forms part of this pledge. Our new charging points are powered by the same 100% renewable electricity that powers the rest of our estate.’