Evoasis is aiming to convert abandoned petrol stations in the UK into electric vehicle charge stations, complete with your favourite drop of caffeine.
They'd better be serving chai lattes
(Credit: Evoasis)
The high cost of fuel in the UK — up to 97 pence (AU$2.04) a litre in London — has meant independent petrol stations have been disappearing at a rapid pace, but what's happening to all the abandoned forecourts? If American firm Evoasis gets its way, they'll all be transformed into charging stations for electric vehicles.
According to London's Evening Standard, the first of these, located on Grosvenor Road, in London's swanky Pimlico district, will have 12 three-phase outlets capable of recharging some vehicles in as little as 20 minutes, plus airport-style waiting lounges where users can chill and sip coffee while their cars are topped up.
Currently, high-speed charging is only possible on electric vehicles that use Lithium-ion battery packs. These include the latest G-Wiz, the Tesla Roadster and the Nice e500 Electric, which is based on the Fiat 500. A full charge will cost around £2 (AU$4.20), but high-speed charging won't be possible with cars such as the Nice Mega City, Ze-O, or anything that uses lead-acid or nickel-metal hydride batteries.
Evoasis claims it's in talks with supermarkets such as Tesco, as well as Westminster council, to open five additional sites by the end of the year. This number could rise exponentially if London Mayor Boris Johnson gets his way and unleashes an electric car rental scheme modelled on Paris' Velib bicycle rental system.
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