Town’s biggest EV ultra-rapid charging site set to open at sports chain store

Manchester-based electric vehicle charging network, Be.EV, will officially launch a new 15-bay ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging hub at Decathlon Stockport this Sunday (September 8). 

It will be the largest ultra-rapid charging hub in Stockport, and is located just minutes from the M60, benefiting local residents, shoppers and commuters passing through.

Be.EV is a national public electric vehicle (EV) charging provider, backed by £110m from Octopus Energy Generation, one of Europe’s largest renewable energy investors.

Octopus Electric Vehicles will also be at the launch event, with drivers able to learn about Vehicle to Load technology, and how to use their EV to power appliances at home and on camping trips.

The ultra-rapid chargers can add up to 165 miles of range in a short 20-minute stop – compared with several hours on a 7kW fast charger – a solution that matches Decathlon’s customer dwell time of approximately 30 minutes. 

The site receives up to 20,000 visitors per week and is located minutes from the M60, with the nearest road seeing an average of more than 87,000 vehicles a day. 

Stockport has close to 2,700 registered electric vehicles.

The majority of Be.EV’s chargers are located in the North West, and have been installed to empower communities to make sustainable choices.

Asif Ghafoor, CEO and founder of Be.EV, said: ”It’s an honour to bring ultra-rapid, ultra-convenient EV charging to Decathlon shoppers, and provide Stockport with a new, reliable way to charge their vehicle.

“Charging hubs like these are required nationwide if the country is to successfully transition to cleaner transport, and Decathlon is leading the way when it comes to EV charging in the EV space.”

He added: “Other retailers should take note. As more and more people choose to drive EVs, they’ll naturally gravitate to destinations where they can conveniently charge their car whilst shopping.” 

Liam Fillingham, Real Estate Leader at Decathlon, said: “Decathlon aims to move people through the wonders of sport with a strong focus on sustainability.

“The Stockport site is a great example of this in action.”