Greene King, the leading pub company and brewer, has unveiled its first super-fast electric vehicle (EV) charging facility at the Hobby Horse Farm pub in Syston, Leicestershire.
The ultra-rapid hub is capable of charging eight vehicles simultaneously at speeds of up to 150kW – twice the speed of many EV charging units – so drivers can recharge their vehicle in as little as 30 minutes.
Hobby Horse Farm is part of the Farmhouse Inns brand, and is situated in a prime location, surrounded by several principal roads with plenty of passing traffic and a core local community.
Introducing EV charging facilities is part of Greene King’s wider strategy, which includes improving operations to reduce environmental impact and also helping customers make more sustainable choices. Greene King now has over 1,200 EV charging bays located at pubs and support centres across the country, adding valuable EV charging facilities to local communities. There are an additional 166 EV bays awaiting connection plus between 75 and 100 new EV charging locations with 300 bays expected to be added in 2024.
More super-fast hubs are scheduled to be installed this year in Greene King pub car parks as part of a partnership with the EV network provider, evyve.
Nick Elliot, group property director of Greene King said: “With the continuing demand for electric vehicles, the need for charging points nationwide is increasing. With more than 2,000 pubs across the country, we are well-placed to roll out a charging network across England, Scotland and Wales, particularly in hard-to-reach rural communities, and areas where having a home charger may not be possible.
“We are pleased to have our first ultra-fast hub up and running and it just demonstrates how pubs are important assets to their communities in so many ways.
“We are working in partnership with others to help people make more sustainable choices as we all work to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”
General manager at Hobby Horse Farm, Gary Dyson-Huff added: “We are in a great location and we now have even more to offer our pub customers, our regulars and those passing by, and we look forward to welcoming them in for refreshments while they charge their car.”
To date, evyve has added 400 rapid charging stations at Greene King pubs nationwide. Commenting on this latest installation, James Moat, CEO of evyve, said: “Building on the ongoing success of our partnership with Greene King, evyve is dedicated to delivering exceptional customer service and investing in charging infrastructure at prime locations where drivers prefer to charge. We have observed significant utilisation due to the excellent locations and outstanding amenities available, making these sites ideal for drivers looking for a quick recharge, a coffee, or even a bite to eat.”
As part of the evyve network, the chargers support contactless payment and are accessible through various roaming partnerships, including Allstar Fuel Cards, Shell Recharge, Plugsurfing, Octopus Electroverse, and Zap-Pay, among others. Alternatively, drivers can download the evyve app to manage and pay for their charging sessions.
ENDS
Pictured:
Group picture shows Gary Dyson Huff with Greene King project surveyor Conor Moseley and Fred Kamstra and Joe Killen from evyve.
Notes to editors
About Greene King:
Greene King is the country’s leading pub company and brewer with c.2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland.
At Greene King we are passionate about delivering our purpose to ‘pour happiness into lives’. That’s for our customers, our team, our pub partners, our suppliers and the communities in which we live, operate and serve. Founded in 1799 with offices in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk and Burton on Trent in Staffordshire we employ around 39,000 people across the group with four divisions: Greene King pubs, Destination Brands, Partnership and Ventures, and Brewing & Brands.
- Greene King pubs is our mainstream pub brand located where people and communities come together; pubs enjoyed in cities, towns and villages throughout the country with clear ambition to be “The Nation’s Most Loved Pub Brand”.
- Destination Brands is a portfolio of distinct brands which includes Hungry Horse, Chef & Brewer, Farmhouse Inns and Flaming Grill that bring friends and family together, delivering great service, quality and value for money for a range of eating out and drinking occasions.
- Partnerships & Ventures includes Pub Partners, which runs our tenanted and leased pubs business and Hive Franchise pubs, and our Ventures Brands which is made up of Metropolitan Pub Company, Hickory’s, Hotels Group and Crafted Pubs.
- Brewing & Brands covers the brewing sides of the business. Quality ales are brewed at the Westgate brewery in Bury St Edmunds and the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar. Our industry-leading portfolio includes Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale, Ice Breaker and Belhaven Best and our premium beers, Level Head and Flint Eye, brewed for the modern-day drinker.
About evyve:
evyve is building a nationwide network of Rapid and Ultra Rapid (EV) charging stations working in partnership with leading destination food and retail brands and roadside retailers across the UK all powered by 100% renewable energy. With plans for more than 10,000 charging stations by 2030 evyve’s mission is to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicle through eliminating range anxiety and delivering exceptional customer experience.
evyve has been recognized with Zap-Map’s ‘Up and Coming Network’ award for 2024.
Contact: Greene King Press Office, PressOffice@greeneking.co.uk
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