Aldi has confirmed a major change to its car parks at more than 250 UK stores, transferring 1,200 electric vehicle (EV) charging points to Drax. The supermarket giant, which retained its title as the nation's most affordable supermarket in April, now offers rapid charging at 62p per kWh and standard charging at 40p per kWh.
New Charging Infrastructure
The upgraded charging infrastructure is already available at branches including Diss in Norfolk, Eastbourne, Durham, and Yate near Bristol. Aldi plans to install chargers at approximately 20 additional stores annually, featuring a mix of fast and rapid chargers to suit customer needs.
Charging is competitively priced at 40p per kWh for fast charging and 62p per kWh for rapid charging. Customers can check availability, view tariffs, and pay via the Charge Assist app or contactless card payments without a subscription.
Commitment to Sustainability
Jonathan Neale, Managing Director of National Real Estate at Aldi UK, said: "We're committed to making sustainable choices more accessible for our customers, and we know many are looking for affordable, reliable and convenient ways to charge their cars. By expanding EV charging at more of our stores, we're helping to make that easier - and offering great-value charging while they shop."
EV Charging Insights
Energy giant Octopus highlights that EV charging has advanced considerably. Public charging infrastructure is growing rapidly, with supermarkets becoming convenient hubs. Benefits include convenience, safety, and easy access, but caveats include potential time limits and higher costs than home charging. Understanding charger types is essential: slow chargers (7 kW) for longer shops, fast chargers (up to 22 kW) for quick top-ups, and rapid/ultra-rapid chargers (50 kW+) for 20-40 minute replenishment.
