Volkswagen and Tesco set to build largest free e-car charging network

Tesco and Volkswagen are set to build the largest free charging network for electric vehicles in the UK.

The plans announced by the duo on Friday include funding for as many as 2,500 charging points in the parking lots of approximately 600 Tesco stores across the country with building being carried out by charging network operator Pod Point.

In a move to encourage people to change to electric cars, the companies also announced that the slower charger option will be free to use, helping to allay concerns about the lack of sufficient charging stations.

Volkswagen is confident its electric brand will sell around a million cars by 2025. Earlier this year, the company announced it will spend almost € 44bn on developing electric cars, autonomous driving and new mobility services by 2023.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed that over 120,000 'alternatively fueled vehicles' were in the UK in 2018, 22% more than in the same period last year.