How UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s built its successful EV charging business with Kempower’s state-of-the-art charging solutions
In January 2024, Kempower helped major UK retailer Sainsbury’s launch its EV charging business, Smart Charge, by providing the charging infrastructure. Smart Charge is the first and only EV charging business to be fully owned and managed end-to-end by a UK supermarket.
In less than a year Smart Charge has opened over 55 hubs, providing more than 450 bays, making it one of the UK’s top five providers of ultra-rapid EV charging.
The UK is facing a critical challenge in reducing emissions from transportation, a sector responsible for 26% of the country’s total emissions, according to a 2023 Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) report. Passenger cars are a major contributor within this sector, and the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles is seen as a key solution. However, according to research commissioned by Sainsbury’s among UK EV drivers, a lack of readily available and reliable charging infrastructure remains a significant frustration. Retail charging stations, conveniently located at supermarkets and shopping centres, can play a vital role in addressing this gap and accelerating the transition towards a more sustainable transportation future.
“Retail EV charging not only enhances the customer experience for Sainsbury’s shoppers but also contributes significantly to the UK’s transition towards a more sustainable transportation future. Sainsbury’s commitment to Smart Charge exemplifies the growing role retailers can play in accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles.” Rolle Nieminen, Kempower’s Head of Sales for the UK and Ireland.
When Sainsbury’s recognized the need to address key concerns among EV drivers, particularly regarding charging speed and reliability, it recruited Kempower to provide the solution.
Flexible EV charging infrastructure supported by data insights
Each site utilizes Kempower’s Power Unit and Kempower Satellite combination, which distributes power dynamically between a large number of connectors based on the vehicle requirements. The setups vary but dynamic charging is typically offered from four to eighteen parking bays depending on the site.
The Kempower Satellite charging system offers design flexibility, with the ability to place Kempower Power Units, the main source of power for Kempower Satellite chargers and the bulkiest part of the charging system, up to 80 meters away. Furthermore, the Kempower Satellites’ sleek design, having one of the smallest charger footprints on the market, make it easy for Sainsbury’s to work around space restrictions in its car parks and outside its supermarkets.
For instance, at the Sainsbury’s Fulham Wharf supermarket in London, the retailer installed a triple cabinet Kempower Power Unit in the underground car park of the supermarket. This unit provides 600 kW of power to eight Kempower Satellites, without taking up any space that could otherwise be used for parking.
Furthermore, Kempower ensures reliability through its modular design and use of Kempower ChargEye, its cloud-based charging management system. These features ensure that should a module fail, the rest of the system continues to operate effectively, resulting in an overall uptime of above 99% across Kempower chargers at Sainsbury’s Smart Charge sites as of September 2024.
Kempower ChargEye’s backend system also gives visibility to Sainsbury’s about the use of the chargers at the different supermarket locations across the country. The software not only gives valuable insights about its current charging performance, but supports decision-making regarding future charging investments. The backend system shows charging performance at a station and charging connector level, and provides Sainsbury’s with useful dashboards, indicating for instance the current use levels and peak times at different charging stations.
Top-tier EV charging user-experience for Sainsbury’s customers
By offering the Kempower Satellite charging system, Sainsbury’s can currently offer up to 300 kW of charging power for its customers driving electric vehicles, enabling a full charge in as little as 30 minutes and offering drivers enough power to travel up to 200 miles. Customers can easily scan the QR-code from the Kempower touchscreen to follow the charging status while shopping. At the end of their charging session, a receipt is available for download and customers are given the option to add Nectar points as part of Sainsbury’s loyalty scheme.
Accessibility was paramount for Sainsbury’s. Kempower’s innovative design ensures Smart Charge stations cater to a diverse range of users, including vans and commercial vehicles, wheelchair users, families with children and shoppers with bulky groceries. Smart Charge offers spacious, accessible bays open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Additionally, Kempower’s dynamic power management system allows for a flexible charging experience. By distributing charge based on need, dynamic power management enables customers who need a quick top-up to use a charger without impacting those who wish to charge for a longer duration while they shop at Sainsbury’s. This flexibility optimises station utilisation and enhances the overall customer experience.
“With our new network of easy-to-use and reliable charging points conveniently located in our supermarkets, Smart Charge will make a real difference to EV drivers in the UK. As one of the few providers to be focusing exclusively on cutting-edge ultra-rapid 150kW+ chargers, customers can be in and out in as little as half an hour and avoid waiting longer with less powerful alternatives. What’s more, they can even grab a coffee or pick up some groceries while they’re there.” Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Group Director of Property, Procurement & EV Ventures.
Integrating the retail charging and shopping experience
In June 2024, Sainsbury’s rolled out its Nectar loyalty program to Smart Charge, making it the first EV charging service in the UK to offer a national loyalty scheme. The program enables customers to collect Nectar points for every pound spent, which can be spent with any of Nectar’s partners including Sainsbury’s and British Airways, helping to integrate the retail charging and shopping experience further and incentivizing Sainsbury’s customers to charge while they shop. The Nectar program also gives operators access to more data about their customers, which they can use to better cater to and improve the EV charging experience.
Scalable EV charging infrastructure powering future growth
With ambitious plans to expand Smart Charge, Sainsbury’s required a future-proof solution. Kempower’s modular and scalable design delivers on this need. Several existing locations have been pre-equipped for seamless expansion, allowing for the addition of Kempower Satellites as demand grows. This eliminates the need for complex, time-consuming infrastructure upgrades, enabling Sainsbury’s to efficiently scale their EV charging network and meet the evolving needs of their customers.
Retailers becoming key players in EV infrastructure
The launch of Smart Charge represents another step in Sainsbury’s ambitious commitment to achieving net zero across its value chain by 2050. Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Group Director of Property, Procurement & EV Ventures, explains: “Our new charging points are powered by the same 100% renewable electricity that powers the rest of our estate*.”
Conveniently located charging stations at supermarkets and retail locations address a critical gap in the EV charging ecosystem, removing a barrier to entry for potential EV drivers.
On the occasion of the launch of Sainsbury’s Smart Charge, Anthony Browne, Minister for Technology and Decarbonisation for the UK, said: “Businesses play a crucial role in the delivery of EV infrastructure, so it’s great to see Sainsbury’s embracing ultra-rapid technology which will benefit supermarket customers.”
