Expanding EV Charging at Stane Retail Park to Help Meet Demand

Mer has increased the EV charging offering at Stane Retail Park, the first of our low voltage charging hubs, in response to the growing demand for EV charging.

ev charging stane

Mer has increased the EV charging offering at Stane Retail Park, the first of its low voltage charging hubs, in response to the growing demand for EV charging.

Mer installed the first phase of EV charge points – three 75kW rapid chargers and two 22kW fast chargers – on the 15-acre retail park in December 2021. The 75kW charge points installed in Phase One proved to be particularly popular, with 90% of kWh sold and 80% of total charging usage recorded through the rapid chargers.

Knowing there was a potential for a second phase, the site was designed with the necessary infrastructure already installed in the ground. The pre-planning and pre-design in liaison with owners The Churchmanor Estates Company Plc. made the rollout of any additional phases much easier.

“We are delighted to be working with Churchmanor once again, in the hope we can support more EV drivers who visit the site and boost the accessibility of EV charging in Colchester” – Karl Anders, Mer UK Managing Director

The high utilisation of the original chargers triggered the second phase of the EV charging infrastructure roll-out, which has seen the installation of four additional 75kW rapid chargers. This takes the total number of charging bays to 20.

Karl Anders, Managing Director at Mer UK said, “We have seen how popular EV charging at Stane Retail Park has been since we installed our first charge points. We are therefore delighted to be working with Churchmanor once again, in the hope we can support more EV drivers who visit the site and boost the accessibility of EV charging in Colchester.”

The layout of the installation in Phase One and the positioning of the chargers mean drivers who charge their EVs on the front wing or bonnet can easily pull the cables around their vehicle. This improves the customer experience and highlights Mer’s focus on customer-centricity.

Matt Cloke, Development Director at The Churchmanor Estates Company Plc., said, “Mer were chosen as the EV charging operator after a structured tender process, which took into account not only commercial terms, but also existing track record, network size, ease of use, up time of the charging equipment and maintenance arrangements, customer service support, and use of sustainably generated electricity.

“Mer worked collaboratively with us to ensure the charging equipment was installed and working on time and with the minimum of disruption, both for the original retail park opening, and for the second phase of chargers. We’re very pleased with our decision to go with Mer and look forward to working with them into the future.”

The newly built retail park, found a short distance from Colchester Town Centre, is home to a range of commercial outlets, including B&Q, M&S, Aldi, Greggs, and Cook. Superdrug and Mountain Warehouse are due to open this week. The park is located near the A12, a major route up the UK that provides access between Suffolk and London, making it a prime location for EV charging.

About Mer

Mer is a European EV charging company, backed by Statkraft, Europe’s largest renewable energy generator. By bringing together its extensive expertise in renewable energy and electric mobility, Mer is on a mission to make EV charging simple, sustainable, and accessible to everyone. In the UK, Mer delivers complete EV charging solutions to businesses and local authorities, helping power the shift to purer transportation across Europe.