Retail chain British Garden Centres has announced an electrical vehicle (EV) partnership with Osprey, which will see EV charging rolled out across its UK store estate.
The group has partnered with EV charging network provider, Osprey, to bring these facilities to its customers as the popularity of EVs continues to grow in the UK.
Osprey said its “ultra-rapid” EV charging hubs can add 100 miles of range in 20 to 30 minutes, adding that this duration matches the ideal dwell time for customers visiting garden centre stores.
A total of 12 British Garden Centres are currently confirmed for phase one of the partnership, with more centres set to be announced in due course. The Carmarthen store in Wales will be the first to host an Osprey hub of 8 ultra-rapid (150kW) chargers.
That will be followed by implementations in Wimborne in Dorset and Carr Gate in Yorkshire, as well as Braintree in Essex and Harrow in North London. British Garden Centres sites in Osterley, Wolseley, Albrighton, Newton Regis, Gillberdyke, Towneley, and Brigg are also confirmed destinations for EV charging sites.
Last month, Osprey committed to delivering accessible and safe charging when it subscribed to independent public EV charging endorsement body, ChargeSafe, to inspect and rate its sites. Osprey said this move will ensure the charging facilities at each British Garden Centres store are as accessible as possible in the space available.
Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, commented: “The British Garden Centres name is synonymous with first-class customer experience, and we’re delighted to provide safe, reliable, and accessible charging at their UK stores.”
Amy Stubbs, project and development manager at British Garden Centres, said: “We work hard to provide our customers with expert gardening knowledge, great value, the industry’s best gardening products, and the highest quality of food in our restaurants.
“Partnering with Osprey allows us to build upon this further by letting our growing number of EV driving customers charge their vehicles at a time and location that is convenient for them, whilst they visit our stores.”
Read more about EV charging facilities in retail on Green Retail World
[Image credit: Osprey Charging]