- More than 2,400 charging bays at 600 branches of the supermarket chain
- Stations to be operated by Volkswagen and Pod Point, one of the leading operators of charging infrastructure in the UK
- Partnership underlines strategic target of the brand: making attractive electric cars and developing appropriate charging infrastructure
Charge your electric car while you shop: Volkswagen and Tesco now partners in the UK
Volkswagen is working to develop areawide charging infrastructure for electric cars. This is why the brand has embarked on a strategic partnership with the Tesco supermarket chain in the UK. Over the next three years, more than 2,400 electric vehicle charging bays are to be rolled out at 600 Tesco stores. The cooperation will create the largest electric vehicle charging network in the British retail sector. The stations are to be operated by Volkswagen and Pod Point, one of the leading providers of charging infrastructure in the UK.
Customers will soon be able to charge their electric cars at Tesco car parks throughout the UK free of charge using a 7 kW charger or for a small fee using a 50 kW rapid charger. Geraldine Ingham, Head of Marketing at Volkswagen UK, said: “This exciting partnership underlines the scale and ambition of our electric offensive. The Volkswagen brand is wholeheartedly committed to an electric future.”
The Volkswagen brand has set itself the goal of becoming a leading supplier in the field of e-mobility and selling more than 1 million electric cars per year by 2025. In future, the main focus of the brand and the Group will therefore be on comprehensive activities in the field of energy and charging infrastructure. Volkswagen will be playing a key role in accelerating the transition of transport and the energy industry to emission-neutral e-mobility.
From 2020, Volkswagen will be launching the ID. family, the first vehicles based on the modular electric toolkit (MEB) – a platform developed especially for electric cars. Volkswagen already produces the e-Golf and e-up! electric cars, which are popular with customers.
The strategic partnership with Tesco in the UK underlines the objective of providing appropriate infrastructure solutions in addition to attractive electric vehicles. In Tesco, Volkswagen has found the right partner. The retail chain is committed to alternatives to fossil fuels and has already undertaken to use power from renewable sources. “We want to be the leading energy supplier for electric cars and to offer our customers sustainable solutions,” said Tesco CEO Jason Tarry.
The recently agreed cooperation with Tesco, with the support of Pod Point, will boost the total number of public charging stations in the UK by 14 percent. “This is a monumental day for electric vehicle drivers,” said Pod Point CEO Erik Fairbairn. “It is a massive leap forward for the UK and a significant step in our mission to put a Pod Point everywhere you park.”
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