Public EV charging operator Zest has added 12 ultra-rapid charging spaces at food and drink destinations in Winsford, Nottingham and Banbury.
The new facilities are located at two KFC restaurants and a Costa Coffee and Burger King drive-thru development. Zest said the sites are intended to allow drivers to charge while stopping for food, coffee or other refreshments.
New charging sites
The two KFC locations in Winsford and Nottingham were delivered through Zest’s partnership with franchise operator Gastronomy Foods. Each site has four 150kW charging spaces.
At Winsford, the chargers are at the new KFC restaurant on Road One at Winsford Industrial Estate. The Nottingham installation is at the KFC site on Nuthall Road.
In Banbury, Zest has installed four 160kW charging spaces at a new Costa Coffee and Burger King drive-thru development on Southam Road. The project was delivered in partnership with site developer Stephen James Property.
The installations extend Zest’s charging network across food, drink and retail locations. The company also has sites at brands including Starbucks and Five Guys, retailers such as Tesco, Aldi, Home Bargains and Co-op, and shopping centres including Metrocentre in Newcastle, Frenchgate in Doncaster and Merry Hill in Dudley.
Zest said the approach “reflects Zest’s focus on putting public charging at destinations where people already spend time, allowing drivers to charge as part of their everyday journeys”.
Zest’s food and drink strategy
Robin Heap, chief executive of Zest, said: “Food and drink destinations are a natural fit for EV charging. Drivers already spend time at restaurants, coffee shops and drive-thrus, so putting reliable, high-powered charging in those locations makes it easier to incorporate charging into everyday journeys.
“Our growing presence in this sector shows the opportunity to bring charging to the places people already visit, while giving food and drink operators and developers another way to enhance the experience they offer customers.”