The state-of-the-art GRIDSERVE Electric Forecourt® has just opened in Stevenage, situated on the legendary Knebworth Estate, marking the fourth Electric Forecourt® in the country. Located near Junction 7 of the A1(M), this cutting-edge facility offers 30 EV charging bays powered entirely by 100% net-zero energy, setting a new standard in sustainable travel.
Knebworth Estate is famous for being one of Britain’s most celebrated cultural landmarks – often referred to as ‘Britain’s premier music venue’. It has been the stage for some of the most memorable moments in British music history, setting a milestone in 2003 when Robbie Williams performed to a record-breaking 375,000 fans and in 1996 when Oasis famously played to 250,000.
But Knebworth offers more than just music. Visitors to the estate can explore a wide variety of attractions, including Knebworth House, dinosaur trail and adventure playground – making Knebworth Estate a destination where history, culture, and entertainment combine. The estate is also adjacent to the A1(M), a busy part of the A1, the UK’s longest road stretching from London to Edinburgh.
The new Electric Forecourt® is one of the most advanced EV charging facilities in the world, hosting 30 EV charging bays, including 24 High Power bays with up to 360kW of power – some of the fastest chargers publicly available today, capable of adding up to 100 miles of range in ten minutes. The new chargers increase charging in the Stevenage area by 34%* and are accessible to all EV drivers including motorway users, visitors to Knebworth Estate and the local community.
To make it as easy as possible for customers to charge their electric vehicles (EV), the new location features both CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, accepts contactless payment as well as payment through the GRIDSERVE EV charging app and provides real-time status updates to a myriad of popular EV charging maps. The chargers are powered by net zero carbon energy, supporting GRIDSERVE’s purpose to move the needle on climate change.
Opening in the coming weeks, Stevenage Electric Forecourt® will also be home to a Little Fresh ‘Good To Go’ convenience store powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, speeding up the customer journey and giving guests more time to recharge as their vehicles do the same.
Visitors to the Stevenage Electric Forecourt® Little Fresh store simply tap their contactless payment card or smartphone wallet upon store entry and grab what they need. The technology detects what the shopper takes from, or returns to, store shelves, creating a virtual shopping cart. When the customer completes the shopping experience, they can leave the store without waiting in line, and their choice of payment method will be charged for the items.
Inside the Electric Forecourt® is plenty of space to relax and recharge in the lounge area or discover more about electric vehicles in the interactive EV experience area along with impartial advice from GRIDSERVE Gurus.
The building is open from 7am to 9pm, 7 days a week with GRIDSERVE Gurus onsite during this time. The chargers are available 24/7, all year round. During times when the Electric Forecourt® building is not open, customers can call the GRIDSERVE customer service helpline which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Last year, GRIDSERVE migrated all customer service call centre operations in-house, helping to radically improve both the wait time and quality of response.
Rebecca Trebble, Chief Product Officer at GRIDSERVE, said: “The opening of the Stevenage Electric Forecourt marks another milestone for GRIDSERVE as we open our fourth Electric Forecourt®. While the design is similar to our first Electric Forecourt® in Braintree, we have learnt a great deal since its opening in 2020 which has been implemented at Stevenage. Visitors can now drive forward or reverse into bays as we have a better understanding of how the traditional forecourt blueprint can be changed to best fit the EV experience.
“To be opening in an iconic estate like Knebworth is a privilege as we support the estate’s commitment to reducing its impact on the environment. Electric Forecourts® are just part of the solution to decarbonising transport and compliment the fantastic work being done across the Electric Highway to give all the confidence to move to EV. We look forward to welcoming all drivers to the Stevenage Electric Forecourt®”.
Lytton Enterprises Ltd. and Knebworth Estates Managing Director, Martha Lytton Cobbold, commented: “Lytton Enterprises Ltd. and Knebworth Estates are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our work and operations.
“We encourage responsible energy use and look forward to GRIDSERVE opening in October to support our residents, employees, visitors, and the community.”
GRIDSERVE now has over 190 locations with over 1,500 charging bays.
There will be a formal ribbon cutting ceremony and official opening at Stevenage Electric Forecourt® in the coming weeks.
*Based on data from https://maps.dft.gov.uk/ev-charging-map/index.html
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