Tesco is poised to install over 2400 electric car charging bays in the carparks of 600 of its stores across the UK by 2020.
The UK’s largest grocer has partnered with Volkswagen on the project, while a company called Podpoint will install the charging points.
Customers will be able to charge their cars for free via a 7kW charger while they do their shopping, which is reportedly long enough for a “substantial” charge.
For faster charging, Tesco will also offer “rapid” 50kW chargers available for a small fee.
The thousands of charge points, which are understood to represent a 14 per cent increase in the total number of public charge bays in the UK, will be based in Tesco Extra and Superstore carparks.
Other supermarkets like Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s have also installed car charging points in their stores, but Tesco’s plans will well outnumber them once completed.
“This is part of our wider commitment to addressing the environmental challenges that matter most to our customers, colleagues and communities,” Tesco UK chief executive Jason Tarry said.
“We want to be the leading electric vehicle (EV) energy provider and to support our customers with more sustainable solutions.
“Our EV network provides a sustainable choice for our customers, and charging while they shop is another little help to make their lives easier.”
Volkswagen head of marketing Geraldine Ingham said: “This incredibly exciting partnership underlines the scale and ambition of our electric car programme in the UK.
“Working with these partners to provide such an extensive network of EV chargers should leave no-one in any doubt about the Volkswagen brand’s wholehearted commitment to an electric future.”
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