First of 50 ultra-rapid EV charging hubs to be built by SSE and M7 ‘goes live’
The first of SSE’s ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging hubs being built in conjunction with M7 Real Estate will be officially opened by former cabinet minister and local MP, Sir Brandon Lewis CBE, today (August 10th).
The 10-bay hub at Gapton Hall Retail Park in Great Yarmouth features 150kW charge units which have the potential to allow drivers to resume their journey in just a few minutes , as well as a 22kW charger meaning users have a choice of how to charge when visiting the site.
The shopping park is situated in a highly accessible location at the roundabout junction of the A12 and A47 opposite Tesco Extra.
The Gapton Hall hub will represent the first of a potential 50 charging stations installed on sites managed by M7 Real Estate (M7), 20 of those for Oxford Properties following the announcement of a two year programme of EV infrastructure investment with SSE Energy Solutions.
I’m delighted Sir Brandon Lewis was here to open the first of the EV charging hubs we’re developing with M7. He is well aware of the importance of these hubs to his constituents and I welcome his support for our work.
Gapton Hall is a great example of the sort of hubs that cater to the everyday EV driver, perfectly located to make charging your car straightforward and convenient.
We’re pressing ahead with our ambitious EV charging infrastructure plans and I look forward to delivering hubs to people right across the UK, both in conjunction with M7 but also with the 300 hubs we plan to build ourselves over the next seven years.
A further five hubs will be constructed in the initial phase of the project on locations in Ipswich, Poole, Hayes, Colchester, and Chelmsford.
With 90% of emissions coming from the UK’s roads and motorways, projects like Gapton Hall are helping communities decarbonise, making vital progress towards government ambitions to begin phasing out petrol and diesel cars from 2030.
The demand for electric vehicles is growing exponentially and we must keep up with demand in our drive towards net zero. I'm delighted to see SSE Energy Solutions and M7 Real Estate investing in this infrastructure.
Norfolk County Council is successfully promoting EV use as part of its Travel Norfolk initiative and Electric Vehicle Strategy but people in Great Yarmouth haven't had access to an ultra-rapid charging hub of this size before. I hope it encourages more people to make the switch to an EV
According to online EV charging monitor Zapmap, there were 45,737 electric vehicle charging points across the UK at the end of July 2023. This represents a 40% increase in the total number of charging devices since July 2022 . However, concerns remain that charging infrastructure is not keeping pace with electric vehicle sales.
SSE plans to build 500 of its own ultra-rapid EV charging hubs powered by traceable, renewable energy in the UK and Ireland by 2030.
With customers placing increasing importance on sustainability, we want our retail parks to support the adoption of electric vehicles.
Providing customers with the best possible EV charging experience is an important part of our asset management strategy and partnering with SSE was an easy decision due to their commitment to renewables and proven track record in this space
About M7 Real Estate
M7 Real Estate Ltd is a pan-European investor and asset manager specialised in multi-tenanted real estate. M7’s team consists of over 230 staff operating across a platform spanning 15 countries and territories comprising the UK, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dubai France, Germany, Hungary, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain.
Established in 2009 M7 manages a portfolio of c. 620 assets comprising 56 million sq ft of GLA with a capital value of circa €6.9 billion.
M7 acts as an investment and asset manager to a series of funds that it has established and in which it co-invests alongside a large number of family office, high net worth and institutional investors. It is also appointed Investment Advisor to Alternative Income REIT, a UK listed property company and is the asset manager and AIFM for Mailbox REIT and M7 Regional E-Warehouse REIT which are both listed on IPSX. In addition, M7 also has a number of separate account mandates where it acts as a third party asset manager for the portfolios of institutional, family office and high net worth investors including M&G Investments. M7 also enters into joint ventures and currently has them with private equity firms including Blackstone.
- Subject to vehicle capabilities and battery condition; assumes market average vehicle efficiency of 201Wh/km (Source)
- EV charging statistics 2023
