Ikea to install electric vehicle rapid chargers at all UK stores
Ikea is to install electric vehicle rapid charging points across all 18 of its UK store car parks by the end of the year.
The move comes after research conducted by the retailer revealed that one in six Britons would be encouraged to switch to an electric car if more charging points were available across the UK.
Ikea is working with car manufacturer Nissan and green energy provider Ecotricity to introduce the dedicated rapid charging points in its car parks to enable customers to charge their vehicles while shopping in store.
Developed by Nissan, the rapid charger units can recharge an electric vehicle, such as the 100% electric Nissan LEAF, from empty to 80% full in thirty minutes and Ikea will be the first major retailer in the UK to make them available to its customers.
Never Miss a Retail Update!The rapid-chargers will be installed in all Ikea UK stores across the country by the end of December 2013. The charging points will be free for all customers to use and there will be no charge for the 100% sustainably sourced green electricity from Ecotricity.
Joanna Yarrow, head of sustainability at Ikea UK and Ireland said: “At Ikea we believe electric vehicles have a significant part to play in a more sustainable future. We know that our customers want to live more sustainably and that extends to how they get to and from our stores.
“By installing more charging points and strengthening the infrastructure nationally, we believe we can start to tackle one of the major barriers to using electric cars which is the fear of not finding a convenient place to charge the car.”
