M&S inks partnership for hundreds of EV charging points at stores

Image: BP Pulse

The supermarket confirmed the deal on Thursday (80 November), stating that it will result in the installation of BP Pulse charging points at around 70 stores within a two-year period. The agreement covers up to 900 charging points, to be supplied, installed, operated and maintained by BP Pulse.

M&S will install a mixture of ultra-fast (>150kW) and rapid (>50kW) charging points across its estate of stores. For context, many popular home charging models have a power of around 7kW, meaning that the new charging points will provide range far more quickly than home charging for most motorists.

M&S has chosen its Maidstone Eclipse and Southgate stores as the first to trial BP Pulse charging infrastructure. A total of 15 >50kW  charging points have been installed across the two stores and they are now open to the general public.

The move builds on the installation of more than 250 BP Pulse charging points at BP-operated forecourts across the UK’s road networks. These 60 locations also offer M&S Food.

Motorists wishing to use the charging points will need to create a BP Pulse account and use either an app on their mobile phone or an RFID card. The charging network operator offers pay-as-you-go packages and monthly subscription models. There is also the option to charge without an account using pay-as-you-go.

M&S’s director of operations Sacha Berendji said that “EV charging is the latest feature to ensure we have a store estate fit for the future, to help our customers live lower carbon lives”.

The business is notably aiming to achieve net-zero operations by 2035 and net-zero supply chains by 2040. This target was set in 2021, as M&S updated its flagship ‘Plan A’ sustainability strategy.

M&S said in a statement: “As set out back in 2021, M&S’ ambitious target cannot be achieved alone. Customers, colleagues and suppliers’ support is needed to help deliver emission cuts across the value chain, from the raw materials used to how customers use M&S products.”

After the work with BP Pulse over the next 24 months, M&S will carry out a feasibility study to assess whether it will install these charging points at any additional sites.

McCarthy Stone

In related news, retirement property developer and manager McCarthy Stone has signed a new three-year deal with EV charging point provider Pod Point this week.

The deal will see Pod Point chargers fitted to serve every parking space at new McCarthy Stone developments. The firm is aiming to build 60 new developments each year. It also covers the retrofitting of existing McCarthy Stone locations with charging points.

A survey conducted by McCarthy Stone, covering 1,000 UK residents aged 65 and over, found that more than four in ten people (44%) in this age demographic look for an EV charging point when considering a move to a new property.

The charging points will have a scheduling function that enables motorists to charge at specific times of day. They may wish to do this to take advantage of cheaper electricity at off-peak times.