Whitbread Signs Deal for 600 GeniePoint Network Rapid Charging Points in UK

Whitbread has signed a deal with ENGIE to install up to a thousand GeniePoint Network rapid charging points in the UK.

Installations will begin with 600 committed over the next three years.

Whitbread, owner of brands including Premier Inn hotels and restaurants Beefeater and Brewers’ Fayre, has more car park locations in the UK than the NCP.

Access to the charging points will be for guests as well as members of the public using ENGIE’s GeniePoint Network and will ensure electric car owners can relax knowing there are even more locations being added in easy-to-reach-places - with many in key strategic locations in towns and cities across the UK.

ENGIE will install high-power chargers which will enable cars to replenish in around 30 minutes. The chargers are accessed via the GeniePoint App, available from the App Store or Google Play, or by RFID card. Drivers also have access to free customer service which is available 24/7.

Alex Bamberg, Managing Director for ENGIE EV Solutions, said, “Whether you’re in transit, or overnighting, Premier Inn provides the most convenient locations and now customers have access to the GeniePoint Network, they can re-charge conveniently, nationwide. This is an important move by Whitbread, as the hospitality sector will play an integral role in supporting the UK’s ambitions to be net zero carbon by 2050, while buoying the Government’s ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution. The sale of petrol and diesel vehicles face a ban by 2030 and if more individuals are to consider green mobility then they need access to broader charging options and that means businesses investing in the green agenda.”

The roll out will include installations across the Whitbread network of brands including its Premier Inn hotels and restaurant brands including Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Cookhouse + Pub and Whitbread Inns.

Simon Leigh, Group Procurement Director at Whitbread said, “We know that ‘range anxiety’ is a real concern for many of our guests who own electric cars. Knowing that in many locations they will soon be able to arrive and have access to a high-speed charge point to quickly refuel their car while they relax and refuel themselves will be a great source of comfort. A combination of our excellent locations and guests being able to wake up knowing they can safely get back on the road again means Premier Inn and ENGIE are the perfect partners for these charge points.”

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