Leading EV charging network provider Gridserve has increased the price of its basic charging service by 30%, due to what it called ‘spiralling costs’ in the energy sector.
Charging up at one of its 60kW medium power chargers – primarily located at motorway service areas – is rising from 30p to 39p per kWh with immediate effect . Gridserve currently has the largest share of EV charging provision on the UK motorway network, after buying the Electric Highway network from Ecotricity last year.
However, Gridserve also said that the cost of using its high power, 350 kW chargers, available at its Electric Hub locations, will remain at 45p per kWh. The company has 13 electric hubs in construction, each featuring between 6-12 350 kWh chargers.
Gridserve says that it recognises that the better the economics are for using EVs versus petrol or diesel, “the quicker people will make the switch”.
The company is investing in new solar energy and battery projects which help to protect customers against the type of price hikes and instability that are currently affecting the energy market.
This is why Gridserve is able to continue to charge 39p per kWh – even for 350kW chargers – at its Electric Forecourts thanks to onsite solar generation and battery storage which gives the company more control over energy and distribution costs.
Gridserve have two electric forecourts due to open at Gatwick airport and in Norwich later this year. Its flagship electric forecourt opened in Braintree, Essex in 2020.
Since acquiring Ecotricity in June 2021, Gridserve has replaced over 80 chargers at 50 locations, and officially launched the ‘Gridserve Electric Highway’ – which it claims now provides coverage for 85% of the UK motorway network.
