Vauxhall has partnered with Tesco to offer free public charging for a year for anyone who buys one of their electric vehicles.
The move will allow drivers to charge up at any of the 2,700 bays found in 619 Tesco store car parks, the largest supermarket EV charging network in the UK.
James Taylor, Managing Director for Vauxhall, noted that the offer could help drivers cut the cost of their motoring bills.
He explained: “As electric vehicle sales continue to grow, access to practical charging continues to be a hot topic to ensure the UK can continue along its electrification journey, whether at home, on-street or at a required destination.
“In partnership with Tesco, Vauxhall is continuing to support electric vehicle drivers across the country, offering free charging for any new Vauxhall customer visiting a Tesco store.”
Vauxhall and Tesco’s partnership is a part of the car company’s Electric Streets of Britain policy, which was introduced to make charging electric cars more accessible for motorists.
According to research conducted by the brand, more than 70 percent of councils that were surveyed did not have a published strategy for providing drivers with on-street charging.
Vauxhall also found that a shocking 69 percent of local authorities did not have any on-street charging facilities, meaning it is up to drivers to install their own home charger or use a public charger.
Clare Gregorio, Head of Retail Partnerships at Tesco, hopes that the move encourages more motorists to make the switch to an electric car.
She added: “We’re committed to reducing carbon emissions across our business. We want to encourage our customers to make sustainable choices too, such as moving to an electric vehicle.
“That’s why we’re delighted to partner with Vauxhall in providing the UK’s largest supermarket EV charging network, making it easy and convenient for our customers to top up their electric cars while they shop with us.”
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), electric models made up 14.6 percent of all new car sales during 2023.
The number of electric models on the roads recently surpassed one million, with a number of motoring experts predicting nearly 400,000 more to be sold in the UK during 2024.
Vauxhall currently offer a lineup of seven electric vehicles, but plan to have EV versions of their entire range of cars and vans by the end of 2024.
