Waitrose staff will now have exclusive access to electric vehicle charging points following the launch of a newly constructed hub at the grocer’s Bracknell depot.
The retailer has installed 14 22kW rapid charge points at the 114,000 sq ft warehouse and distribution centre.
The installation – made in partnership with charge point manufacturer Easee and tech provider Flowbird – means the Bracknell site is the first depot to be equipped with the technology, though The Grocer understands Waitrose potentially has “more requirements” elsewhere in its network if the hub is a success.
“We want to make it as easy as possible for our partners to go electric,” said Waitrose alternative fuel implementation manager Jackie Hewson. “We appreciate that not everyone has a charger at home, and so believe that providing workplace charging is key to supporting the EV transition and establishing more sustainable depot operations.”
The new hub would enable partners to charge vehicles while they were in the office, Hewson added.
Flowbird – which specialises in parking and ticketing technology – has developed an app to manage the payments and will operate the charging point on Easee’s behalf. Its pay and display technology is already used in 20 Waitrose stores nationwide, but this is the first time the company will manage EV infrastructure for the supermarket.
“This initiative builds on our strong long-standing relationship with Waitrose, as well as reflecting Flowbird’s increasing presence in the EV charging market,” said Flowbird UK MD Danny Hassett.
“Warehouse and logistics hubs are prime locations for EV chargepoint investments, and this installation will see partners at Bracknell benefit from accessible and affordable charging for years to come.”
The plans form part of the John Lewis Partnership’s wider ambition to fully electrify its fleet of vans and commercial cars by 2030, in a bid to be net zero by 2035. In November 2021, Waitrose began a one store trial of wirelessly charged home delivery vans.
The grocer has also partnered with fossil fuel giant Shell to install EV charge points in customer car parks, and plans to roll them out to 100 stores by 2025.
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