Drivers hit KFC... for cheaper power
MIDDLE-CLASS motorists are flocking to fast-food diners and budget supermarkets to take advantage of cheap electric vehicle charging.
Service-station stalwarts such as KFC and Toby Carvery – traditionally shunned by higher earners – are seeing a boost in footfall after installing electric vehicle (EV) power points.
Soaring petrol prices and environmental concerns saw plug-in car sales rise by 41 per cent this year, although the higher cost of EVs mean many users are middleor upper-income earners. Motorists are increasingly charging vehicles while out and about to take advantage of cheaper electricity or to top up on longer trips.
Restaurants, supermarkets and service stations have cottoned on and are attracting a different demographic of customer by offering charging.
A KFC spokesman said: ‘We’ve seen a real increase in customers, especially commuters, who might have previously driven past but now enjoy fried chicken while they plug in.’
Budget supermarket Lidl has installed rapid chargers at 300 stores which can provide 100 miles’ driving in the same time it takes to complete a weekly shop.
Lidl’s charging partner Pod Point said: ‘Our drivers are telling us they go to supermarkets, stores and hotels which they would not have gone to previously, specifically to get a charge. It proves chargers attract new customers.’
A rush of business guests are staying at Premier Inn hotels with charging points, despite the chain being targeted at the lower end of the market with £35-a-night starting prices.
The chain’s owner Whitbread, which is installing 600 chargers at most of its hotels, Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants, said: ‘We’re a value hotel brand and are finding more people considering us thanks to our market-leading charger rollout.’
Rapid charging costs from nothing to around £6 for 30 minutes, which provides about 100 miles of driving.
EVs can usually cover more than 200 miles when fully charged.