Allstar customers can now use their Chargepass to pay for EV charging at Sainsbury’s in a first-of-a-kind deal.

Allstar customers can now use their chargepass to pay for charging at 58 Sainsbury’s Smart Charge EV hubs

The supermarket has selected Allstar as the first business roaming partner for its Smart Charge ultra-rapid EV charging service, launched at the start of 2024.

Effective immediately, Allstar’s customers can charge at 58 EV hubs at Sainsbury’s stores nationwide, with the number set to grow. Users can also collect Nectar points with each charge at Smart Charge and, until 25 October, will receive 10x Nectar points for first-time use.

Sainsbury’s 150kW chargers allow users to fully charge their vehicle in as little as 30 minutes and charging is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Research commissioned by Sainsbury’s earlier this year found 80% of EV users admitted to avoiding long journeys because of not wanting to charge at public EV charging stations, describing the main frustrations as chargers being broken (40%), not enough charging bays (36%) and speed of service (33%).

However, recent data from Allstar found that business use of public and home charging is soaring as fleets embrace EVs. Its data for Q1 2024 revealed that public charge use by Allstar customers was up 264% compared to the same period 12 months previously.

The new partnership builds on a 20-year heritage between Allstar and Sainsbury’s for fuel, but now means drivers will be able to recharge their vehicles via latest charging technology and equipment that uses the same 100% renewable electricity that powers Sainsbury’s estates.

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s director of property, procurement & EV ventures, said: “This is a critical next step in our ambition to make EV charging simple and accessible to all, giving a whole new sector of EV fleet drivers easy access to our network of over 475 bays at more than 58 locations up and down the country.”

Paul Holland, managing director for UK/ANZ Fleet at Allstar parent firm Corpay, said: “Public charging is up, and businesses continue to turn to electric vehicles for their fleet operations. It is through innovative partnerships such as Sainsbury’s Smart Charge that we are aligning with like-minded, forward-thinking brands that share our vision for a fast, convenient and accessible EV charging world for all the nation’s drivers.”