Momentum behind the use of electric vehicles in retail is growing, with grocer Tesco turning to EO Charging to power its fleet of home delivery vans.
In the first phase of Tesco’s electrification programme, EO will supply more than 200 AC fast chargers and five DC rapid chargers across five sites. The charging depots in Lakeside, Oxford, Enfield and two in Glasgow will serve day-to-day charging requirements and emergency cover in case of the need for short turnaround times.
The UK supermarket chain hopes to have a fully electric delivery vehicle fleet by the end of 2028, and this year it has introduced 30 electric vans. Plans are in place for a further 150 vehicles to be electrified in 2022, as the number of electric vehicles in retail continue to grow.
Asda has committed to making all its company cars electric-powered over the next five years, while Ocado and other large retailers continue to add electric vehicles to their fleets as part of wider carbon-reducing goals.
Charlie Jardine, founder & CEO at EO Charging, called it “a privilege” to play a part in Tesco’s transition to electric vehicles.
“Our focus is now to help the business optimise its fleet performance and provide round the clock support and ongoing maintenance of their charging infrastructure,” he added.
The Tesco-EO partnership will involve the latter taking care of what it calls “end-to-end electrification for Tesco”, which includes upfront consultation to charging hardware, ongoing support and maintenance, and general charging infrastructure run in the cloud.
EO Charging recently announced it has agreed a business combination with blank cheque company, First Reserve Sustainable Growth, which is expected to result in EO becoming a public company listed on the Nasdaq exchange in the months ahead.
Read more about electric power and greener energy in retail on Green Retail World
[Image credit: Tesco]
