Asda Owner EG Group Orders Tesla EV Superchargers

UK petrol station operator EG Group, which also owns Asda, said on Monday it would buy Tesla ultra-fast charging units to boost EG’s charging infrastructure across the UK and Europe.

The multi million-pound deal by billionaire EG Group owners Mohsin and Zuber Issa will see the fast chargers rolled out across thousands of sites.

The chargers, said to be able to charge about 80 percent of a battery in around 20 minutes, are to use the “Evpoint” brand rather than that of Tesla and will be able to charge a wide range of cars.

EG recently sold the bulk of its petrol station business, about 356 sites, to sister company Asda and  it is expected the charger rollout will be coordinated between the two firms.

Expanded charging network

EG currenty operates about 600 charging sites and said it plans on expanding this to more than 20,000 over time, with the first chargers set to be deployed by the end of the year.

The firm didn’t provide details on the cost or time frame of the overall rollout.

“The rapid installation of reliable, easy-to-use EV charging infrastructure is the right step towards a sustainable future,” said Tesla senior director of charging infrastructure Rebecca Tinucci.

EV adoption is seen as key to reaching climate goals in the UK and Europe, with a wider charging infrastructure seen as necessary for EVs to reach a mass market.

Slowing demand

In February Tesla said it would open part of its US charging network to competing car brands under a $7.5 billion (£6bn) federal programme to expand EV use.

BP last month said it was ordering $100m of Tesla chargers for its US charging network.

The UK had just over 49,000 public EV charging units installed as of 1 October, according to government figures.

After taking off in 2020, EV sales have slowed in Western countries this year in part due to the UK government pushing back a ban on sales of new petrol cars from 2030 to 2035 and the EU agreeing to allow new petrol cars to be sold after 2035 that run on synthetic e-fuels.