From miles to aisles: Octopus Energy and Sainsbury’s Smart Charge make electric vehicle charging easy for shoppers
- 560+ ultra-rapid EV chargers at 68 stores available through Octopus Electroverse
- Sainsbury’s Smart Charge chargers power up an EV while drivers do their shop
- Customers can collect Nectar points every time they plug in – perfect for festive savings
London, 16 December 2024 – Festive shopping just got a whole lot greener and easier for electric car drivers thanks to a new partnership between Octopus Energy’s Electroverse platform and Sainsbury’s Smart Charge.
Drivers can now access over 560 Smart Charge ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) chargers at 68 Sainsbury’s UK stores nationwide at just a tap of their Octopus Electroverse card.
These chargers can power up an EV in under 30 minutes, charging batteries to the brim in the time it takes to pick up groceries.
As an added bonus, between 16 December and 10 January, every £1 spent on charging earns drivers 5 Nectar points*, unlocking savings on customers’ festive shopping.
Smart Charge powered by Sainsbury’s launched at the start of this year, with 100% of its sites having fully accessible bays and a reliable service with +99% uptime.
It joins over 1,000 charging brands for drivers to use in over 40 countries on Octopus Electroverse, giving drivers access to more than 920,000 chargers around Europe.
Octopus Electroverse’s pioneering ‘one card, one app’ model drastically simplifies public charging, eliminating the faff of downloading multiple apps. The disruptor is now Europe’s largest consumer charging platform.
This comes as a record number of nearly 90,000 public EV chargers are installed in the UK**. Research also shows four in five EV drivers have had a good experience with public charging in the UK***.
Matt Davies, Director of Octopus Electroverse, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome Sainsbury’s Smart Charge chargers to Electroverse. Their rapidly increasing number of ultra-rapid supermarket chargers helps fit electric car charging perfectly into daily routines. Drivers also get extra Nectar points when powering up with Electroverse over the next few weeks - just in time for the festive season.”
Patrick Dunne, Director of Property, Procurement and EV ventures at Sainsbury’s said: “Smart Charge continues to go from strength to strength and we’re delighted that Octopus Electroverse has chosen to collaborate with us, giving all its customers direct access to our 24/7, convenient and reliable ultra-rapid charging hubs. This partnership represents another critical step in our ambition to make EV charging simple and accessible to all – it couldn’t come at a better time for us as Sainsbury’s gears up to create a Big Christmas for all, with something to satisfy every customer’s taste and budget.”
Drivers interested can sign up to Octopus Electroverse online or via the app (Apple and Android), and their card will arrive in the post. Plug in at Smart Charge stations right away using the Electroverse card, with app charging coming in the New Year.
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
*To collect Nectar points while charging at Smart Charge, drivers should follow these steps:
- Plug in and start charging.
- Scan the QR code displayed on the charger screen using a mobile device.
- Enter the Nectar card number and click “Add Nectar” to begin collecting points.
- By selecting the “Remember me” option, drivers can ensure that their Nectar card number is automatically applied each time they scan the QR code in the future.
Terms and conditions apply. For more details, please visit the Smart Charge website.
**Octopus Electroverse quarterly charging report for Q3 2024, published October 2024
**Research conducted by Opinion Matters (16/7/24-23/7/24) of 1,000 17+ UK EV drivers (400 having used an EV for 3 years or longer) and 2,000 17+ ICE vehicle drivers.
Press Contacts
Octopus Energy Group
Amy Boekstein
+44 (0)20 4530 8369
Smart Charge
About Octopus Electroverse
Launched in summer 2020, Octopus Electroverse is Octopus’ answer to the frequent complaint that Electric Vehicle (EV) drivers need many different apps and cards to use the many different brands of EV charging stations. Electroverse is making public charging simple by having just one card and one app, with zero added costs or ongoing fees, and support for the latest in-car technology.
EV drivers across the globe can now access over 950,000 different charge points from over 1,000 different charging operator brands in over 40 countries. Electroverse is open to anyone, and Octopus Energy customers have the option of linking their public EV charging with their home energy bill for the ultimate simplicity. Electroverse (previously Electric Juice) won ‘Best EV Innovation’ at Driving Electric Awards 2021 and ‘Best Use of Technology’ at UK Business & Innovations Awards 2022. For more information on Electroverse, head to our website.
About Smart Charge
Launched in January 2024, Smart Charge is an ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging network across the UK, powered by Sainsbury’s. Offering contactless payment with no subscription or app required, 100% of sites have accessible bays and a reliable service, a great customer experience is at the heart of Smart Charge. Smart Charge will continue to expand and support the nation’s transition to a low-carbon economy. Smart Charge now has over 65 hubs across England, Scotland and Wales providing over 560 ultra-rapid bays for all EV drivers. You can find out more on our website.
About Octopus Energy Group
Octopus Energy is a global clean energy tech business, driving the affordable, green energy system of the future. Under its own retail brand, Octopus delivers world-class customer service and cutting-edge energy products to 9 million households globally. Its operations span 27 countries and the entire energy value chain. The group invests in, builds and flexibly manages renewable energy, operating a £7 billion portfolio of projects.
Octopus has licensed its advanced data and machine learning platform, Kraken, to support over 54 million customer accounts worldwide through licensing deals with companies such as EDF, E.ON and Origin Energy. Kraken enables Octopus to drive the electrification of heat and transport through smart tariffs and innovative cleantech. Backed by pension funds, investors and energy giants, Octopus Energy Group businesses deliver cheaper, greener energy and cutting-edge tech to countries and customers worldwide. For more information, check out our website
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