Independent petrol forecourt group to spend £50m on charge points

Independent petrol forecourt group to spend £50m on charge points

Autocar

Published

MFG's EV hub in Putney, London

Motor Fuel Group commits to installing 350 new ultra-rapid 150kW EV chargers in 2022

Motor Fuel Group (MFG), the UK’s largest independent petrol forecourt group, will open 350 ultra-rapid charging stations across 60 'hubs' in 2022, each offering up to 150kW charging potential.

These hubs will be a mixture of standalone charging hubs and existing sites, spread across both MFG’s dual-fuel and EV-only locations. A further 20 forecourts will also be 'energised' in the first quarter of this year, completing the construction work that was done in 2021.

Each new hub will have between four and eight 150kW chargers, but MFG plans to expand the capacity to 300kW-plus in the coming years, as and when more cars can accept this higher rate of charging.

At the moment, the company isn't reporting whether the higher-speed units will be in addition to the 150kW chargers, but it has committed to keeping a stock of the 150kW ones so that the existing EV parc will still be able to use its sites in the future.

The news is part of a commitment from MFG to invest £400 million in EV infrastructure by 2030, with a £50m total this year, up from the £40m spend in 2021.

The company’s flagship EV hub is located in Putney, London, while it claims to offer the north-west’s first dedicated ultra-rapid EV site in Manchester.

The £50m that was promised by MFG to improve its retail, takeaway food and valeting facilities is in addition to the EV infrastructure investment.

Given the placement of a high proportion of its sites in 'on-route' locations, away from motorway service stations and in urban areas, MFG sees itself as a vital charging centre for people who don’t have access to home charging.

It has more than 900 sites across the UK, partnering with BP, Esso, Jet, Murco, Shell and Texaco.

MFG CEO William Bannister said: “We have already invested significantly and ahead of the curve on EV charging across our portfolio. We have an ambitious roll-out programme for 2022, which is focused on our network throughout the UK.

"Our EV sites are modern in design and provide a high-quality retail and consumer experience for the community and for motorists to use whilst charging their vehicles.”

Full Article