Jolt offers first 7kWh free to charge an electric vehicle

Jolt has launched its free fast-charging service for electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK after striking a deal with the London Borough of Barnet.

The charge point operator offers UK EV drivers 7 kWh, or around 30 miles, of free, fast charging, with cost of charging offset though its integrated advertising network.

After users have consumed 7 kWh for the calendar day, drivers will be charged a per kWh rate.

Born in Australia, Jolt recently announced its partnership with Telus to develop 5,000 EV chargers across Canada and currently operates in New Zealand, Canada and the USA.

The company plans to roll-out thousands of charging stations across the UK in the next few years.

John Rainford, UK country manager at Jolt, said: “Accelerating e-mobility, in a way that’s equitable and sustainable to all involved, is at the heart of what we do at Jolt.

“We are proud to express our commitment to making EV charging accessible through seamless customer experience, especially for those without home charging, and empowering EV ownership in the UK, while helping minimise emissions created by transport.

“Thanks to our partners who are working towards the same ambitious net zero goals, we anticipate accelerated growth and expansion of Jolt’s EV charging infrastructure across the country.”

The partnership with the London Borough of Barnet follows a £2.1 million funding grant, as part of the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Pilot Project, a government scheme supporting the rollout of EV charging infrastructure.

LEVI aims to deliver a step change in the expansion and growth of on-street charging infrastructure across the country.

Decarbonisation minister, Jesse Norman, said: “Our public electric vehicle charging network is growing quickly – in October there were over 50,000 public charging devices – a 43% increase since this time last year.

“This project between Barnet and Jolt will give local people more confidence to go electric, especially residents without access to off-street parking.”

The first installations of the Jolt chargers in Barnet have begun, with the network rolling out over the next months.

Councillor Alan Schneiderman, cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: “We are a council that cares for people, our places and the planet and that means we have a duty to ensure the air we breathe is clean. So, I’m very pleased to see London’s first Jolt charge points being installed in Barnet as another step towards making transport in the borough more environmentally friendly.

“As well as clean air, our ambition is for Barnet to be net zero by 2042 and, as such, we need to continue to work with our communities and partners to find the right solutions to get us there – joining the Jolt EV charging network is part of this.”