Home » Electric car owners could get more than 1,000 miles FREE driving per year following the roll-out of a groundbreaking complimentary car charging network
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Electric car owners could get more than 1,000 miles FREE driving per year following the roll-out of a groundbreaking complimentary car charging network

electric cars

Last year the leading automobile manufacturer Volkswagen announced its partnership with Tesco and Pod Point in order to install 2400 charging points for electric cars. The rollout is well underway – with electric vehicle (EV) owners at 100 Tesco stores across the United Kingdom now able to top up their battery for free while shopping. 

The important details include Volkswagen’s visit to the Potters Bar store in Hertfordshire with its all-electric ID.3. it is the first time this model has appeared in the UK since its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The new car is projected to be available in the showrooms and dealerships in the summer. Meanwhile, Volkswagen has conducted research which has shown that on average a Brit spends around 50 minutes every week in a supermarket buying food and drink. 

From this finding, it declared that all-electric car owners who plug in their vehicles could get around 22.5 miles of free charging from the 7kW points during that 50-minute period. All of this can be done while doing the weekly shopping of food and drink. 

If we total the miles in one whole year, they add up to 1,170 miles. This is the equivalent of driving from London to Rome that too for free. The partnership and the new ID.3, which has a range of up to 340 miles between charges, is part of Volkswagen’s drive to boost e-mobility and make electric cars more affordable for millions of people.

Geraldine Ingham, head of marketing at Volkswagen UK, said: “Volkswagen literally means the people’s car, and with the ID.3 we are making electric car ownership more accessible.

“This fantastic partnership with Tesco and Pod Point makes choosing an electric car even more attractive, allowing people to charge for free, all while going about their daily business. 

“And the best bit is that this is not just for Volkswagens – the chargers are designed for any electric car owner to take advantage of.

“We are really pleased to help break down any remaining barriers to opting for an electric car.”

Jason Tarry, Tesco CEO UK & ROI, added: “We’re now well on our way to achieving our ambition of installing more than 2,400 EV charging bays across 600 Tesco stores.

“Providing customers with charging points offers them a sustainable choice and giving them the opportunity to charge their car for free while the shop is another little help to make their lives easier.”

Pot Point has collected that which has shown that the charging points were used more than 12,000 times in November. This is equivalent to charging the vehicles of the customer with almost 60,000 kWh of energy. Or you could say it is the equivalent of driving a Volkswagen e-Golf more than 250,000 miles.  

Erik Fairbairn, founder and CEO, Pod Point, said: “With the rollout now underway, we are witnessing a pivotal moment for the UK’s rapidly expanding public charging network. 

“Providing smart, easy-to-use charge points at this scale is likely to accelerate the transition to electric cars up and down the country. Being able to top up while you shop at so many locations makes it more convenient to go electric than ever before.”

The sales of electric vehicles in the UK have gone up by 125 per cent this year as reported by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. This growth is expected to continue at a faster rate. This is backed by Volkswagen’s survey of 2000 UK motorists revealing 41 per cent are considering leasing or owning an EV as their next vehicle. The survey also reveals 80 per cent of Brits think free charging points are a good thing.

The survey has also brought forward the significance of charging points/ 43 per cent of the people surveyed said they would rely on them to top up their car batteries.   

And there is a misconception among Brits when it comes to how much it costs to run an electric car. A Volkswagen e-Golf costs around 4 pence per mile in electricity – but the average adult questioned by OnePoll thought it would cost almost 9 pence per mile.

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