BP Pulse and M&S sign deal to install up to 900 charge points

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has signed an exclusive agreement for BP Pulse to expand its national charging network with high-speed electric vehicle (EV) charge points at around 70 stores.

The first pilot sites are now open at M&S Maidstone Eclipse and Southgate, with an initial ambition to install up to 900 BP Pulse charge points within next two years.

In order to provide the appropriate speed for each need, a combination of ultra-fast (150kW) and rapid (50kW) charge points will be installed during the roll-out.

M&S says that 15 rapid charge points are already live and open to the public at M&S Maidstone Eclipse and Southgate.

BP and M&S first teamed up in 2005 to introduce M&S Food stores at BP retail sites. More than 250 BP Pulse charge points are already available at 60-plus BP-operated forecourts which also offer M&S Food.

Sacha Berendji, director of operations at M&S, said: “EV charging is the latest feature to ensure we have a store estate fit for the future, to help our customers live lower carbon lives.

“We know that services like EV charging are in demand from our customers, so we’re delighted to be offering this service and give more reasons for customers to shop with us.”

Akira Kirton, CEO at BP Pulse UK, said: “We aim to provide fast, reliable, and convenient EV charging to our customers that fits in with ‎their busy lifestyles and so, we are excited to extend our relationship with M&S to put high-speed charge points at their stores, growing our network even further.

“This is exactly the kind of collaboration the UK needs to help accelerate the transition to lower carbon transport and we’re delighted to be working with M&S to make that happen.”

Globally, BP Pulse is expanding its network of high-speed charging for cars, light commercial vehicles, and trucks, supporting its ambition ‎to be a net zero company by 2050, or sooner.

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