Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

By the end of the year, EV drivers in the United Kingdom will be able to recharge their vehicles while they shop at any of IKEA's 18 stores. The Swedish furniture giant will become the first retailer in the UK to install rapid chargers across all its outlets.

 

Charging technology for the project is being provided by Nissan, while solar- and wind-powered electricity will be supplied by Ecotricity. Thanks to these two key partners, IKEA will offer shoppers free charging during their visits to the store. In just half an hour, EV owners will be able to charge their battery from empty to 80% capacity.

 

IKEA has long earned a reputation for sustainability, and this latest initiative was prompted by research showing that one in six UK residents would be more likely to drive an EV if the national charging network was extended. The new IKEA charging stations will thus be integrated into the Electric Highway, a growing infrastructure of chargers across Britain. 

 

As part of its commitment to sustainability, IKEA will invest €1.5 billion in renewable energy between now and 2015. IKEA UK already uses a number of hybrid vehicles for deliveries and counts several Nissan LEAFs in its corporate fleet. The Group is hoping to boost EV use across Europe by creating further rapid charging stations in other countries.

 

Photo credit goes to http://www.ecotricity.co.uk