Pod Point choses Tritium DC chargers for UK rollout
Australian charging station manufacturer Tritium will be Pod Point’s preferred partner for the planned rollout of DC charging stations in British supermarkets. The first DC charging points have already been set up and more are to follow soon.
Pod Point is planning to establish 2,400 charging stations at 600 branches of the British Tesco retail chain with Volkswagen – including 7 kW chargers that can be used free of charge as well as chargers requiring payment with 22 kW AC and now Tritium’s Veefil-RT 50 kW DC chargers.
Pod Point’s CEO Erik Fairbairn explained that “DC fast charging is a key part of the UK charger mix, especially for drivers who need to re-charge quickly on long journeys or in emergencies, and for commercial vehicles that can’t top-up charge because they don’t park often.”
Fairbairn explained that Pod Point chose the Veefil-RT because of the reliability of the products, ease of installation and the small footprint of the Australian company’s charging column – the Veefil-RT is relatively flat compared to other 50 kW chargers meaning more charging places can occupy less space. “We also liked that it’s easy to add custom branding to the units too,” Fairbairn said.
The 50-kW charger is designed to allow customers to recharge in ten minutes for a 40-kilometre range, whereas the free 7-kW AC chargers require one hour to charge for the same range. At Tesco stores, the kilowatt-hour at Pod Point costs 24 pence.
The first Tritium chargers are have already been installed, with more to follow quickly. “Pod Point appreciates this easy installation and roll-out speed and we are focused on ensuring a long term supportive relationship with Pod Point,” said Jeroen Jonker, Director of Business Development at Tritium in Europe.
“Electric vehicle interest was already increasing, and when you combine that with the Government’s amended deadline it’s clear we’ll see electric vehicles become the norm sooner rather than later,” says Tritium’s country manager for the UK and Ireland, Kevin Pugh.
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