EV charging points for electric vehicle (EV) drivers will soon be available at 70 Marks & Spencer (M&S) stores across the UK.
In total, there will be 900 EV charging points outside M&S stores as part of the initial wave of work to provide a service for those driving alternative-to-fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. The retailer said the move is part of its revamped Plan A strategy which comprises ongoing work to become a greener business.
The EV charging roll-out began with two pilot sites at Maidstone Eclipse and Southgate. A combination of ultra-fast (≥150kW) and rapid (≥50kW) charge points will be installed during the wider roll-out.
M&S said the decision to invest in this area is part of its plans to build a store estate fit for the future, and make it easier for customers to live a lower carbon lifestyle. Other initiatives it has launched for customers include Shwopping, which encourages consumers to recycle unwanted clothing and garments via its stores, as well as refillables ranges that don’t require single-use packaging.
M&S also allows consumers to use its stores to drop off soft plastics for recycling. These materials are typically not picked up at curbside for recycling by local authorities, so M&S promises to process it at the company’s distribution hubs and recycle it alongside waste management partners.
Sacha Berendji, director of operations at M&S, said: “At M&S we’re reshaping the business for sustainable future growth in every sense.
“We know that services like EV charging are in demand from our customers, so we’re delighted to be offering this service and give more reasons for customers to shop with us.”
The charging points are arriving at M&S via an exclusive agreement with BP Pulse, the EV charging business run by BP.
Akira Kirton, CEO at BP Pulse UK, said: “This is exactly the kind of collaboration the UK needs to help accelerate the transition to lower carbon transport and we’re delighted to be working with M&S to make that happen.”
[Image credit: M&S]
