Jaguar Land Rover provides UK’s largest EV smart charging facility to workers

By Matt de Prez

20 March 2019

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has installed 166 smart chargers for electric vehicles at its Gaydon engineering centre, to encourage its staff into greener cars.

The cost-neutral charger network is available for use by all JLR employees.

Charging points will also be installed in the visitors’ car park, so guests can take advantage of convenient fast charging.

The company says it sources 100% renewable electricity for its UK facilities, to enable carbon-free commuting.

This new smart charging network is believed to be the largest single installation of its kind in the UK, according to JLR.

The 7kW AC smart charging stations can add 176 miles of range to a Jaguar I-Pace during an eight-hour day.

JLR says the charge points will offer both financial and environmental benefits for PHEV and BEV drivers, while providing a convenient and sustainable solution for employees who can’t charge at home.

Mick Cameron, head of e-Mobility at Jaguar Land Rover, said: “We hope that by providing a network of electric charging points to staff and visitors at our Gaydon engineering centre we can help encourage the uptake of alternative fuels amongst our employees.

“It’s all part of our commitment to acting more sustainably – our UK facilities are already powered by 100% renewable electricity and we believe the new charging points will help our employees to tread lightly on their daily commute.”

Sytse Zuidema, CEO of NewMotion, added: “Our data shows when EV drivers are charging their car, 40% of the time this happens at work. Converting the parking spaces at Gaydon into the largest single site with smart charging locations provides that workplace charging opportunity to Jaguar Land Rover’s employees while our NewMotion charge card gives them access to the largest roaming charging network in Europe.”

According to research, 75% of EV users are unable to charge their cars at work in the UK. The first phase of workplace charging will provide 166 smart charging spaces for electric vehicles at Jaguar Land Rover’s engineering centre in Gaydon before further chargers are installed at additional UK sites.