The first site, a sustainable building which is home to a Starbucks drive-through and KFC, is part of a growing network of services around the UK numbering 72 operations to date and with one set to open each month from September. It is built using recyclable materials, powered by solar panels and uses air source pumps for heating.

Each of the GE DuraStation units offers a full recharge in under four hours, and joins 130 identical pedestal units installed by ChargePoint Services in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic Games. These are networked via GPRS, and access is given via an RFiD tag, complaint with London-based Plugged-in Places scheme Source London specification.

Alex Bamberg, sales director, ChargePoint Services Ltd, said.  ‘ChargePoint’s experience of providing not only first class charging units, but also our unique back office management system (CPMS) will enable EuroGarages to fully monitor and control their charge point network as it rapidly expands across the UK.’

Mohammed Patel, utilities manager at EuroGarages Ltd, added: ‘We’re very excited to be installing the first GE charge points as the initial phase of a roll-out plan to install EV charge points at our key road-side outlets around the UK.’