- UK supermarket Sainsbury’s public EV charging arm, Sainsbury’s Smart Charge, has passed an important milestone as it continues to expand its network across the UK.
- Since the launch of the network in 2024, and with 75 charging sites now live, the network has now provided enough energy to allow for 60 million miles worth of EV driving.
- The achievement is an impressive success story for what is a relatively new CPO compared to the competition.
Sainsbury’s Smart Charge passes 60 million miles of charging
Upon the first sites being opened in 2024, Sainsbury’s became the first UK supermarket to own and manage a charging network, with sites being strategically located within Sainsbury’s existing retail sites. With relatively high dwell time and traffic, these locations are well suited to high levels of EV charging demand. With that, Sainsbury’s has been able to grow from its initial charging site in January of 2024 to over 650 ultra-rapid charging bays, spread across 75 supermarket locations nationwide.
This impressive growth isn’t expected to let up anytime soon, with the company investing £25 million into the network in the last twelve months alone – and plans for further expansion in the pipeline.
Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Director of Property, Procurement & EV Ventures, commented:
“Reaching 60 million fossil free miles in just over a year shows what’s possible with investment and a relentless focus on our customers. We set out to remove the barriers to EV adoption by making charging fast, reliable and easy – and that’s exactly what Smart Charge delivers, at convenient locations where lots of EV drivers already shop.
Investing in our EV network is a key part of our Next Level Sainsbury’s strategy, and we’re just getting started. We’re excited to keep building on its initial success and take Smart Charge even further in the months and years ahead.”
UK Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, added:
“It’s amazing that Sainsbury’s has powered 60 million miles worth of zero emission journeys in just over a year, thanks to its £25m investment to install hundreds of chargers at its stores – helping drivers charge easily and conveniently while doing their shopping.
We’re investing £2.3 billion to help drivers switch to electric vehicles while putting money in the pockets of hardworking people by protecting jobs, backing British carmakers and driving growth as part of the Plan for Change.”
