Supermarket giant Tesco is set to trial electric car-charging facilities in a number of its stores as it steps up its commitment to environmental and sustainability issues.
The UK’s largest retailer said the new technology will allow customers with electric cars to recharge their vehicles at plug-in points located in the car park.
The facility is expected to take up to two hours to recharge a battery, which is about twice as long as the usual store shopping time of most consumers.
However, Tesco is in talks with several companies over the possibility of shortening the charging time, and also with electric car manufacturers about expanding the trial further.
The new service will be trialled at stores in Kensington and Vauxhall in London, and could be rolled out across Tesco stores nationwide if successful.
As part of its drive to cut carbon emissions, Tesco is also preparing to announce plans to build the world’s first zero-carbon store in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire.
According to reports, the wood-framed store will be powered using a biomass-fuelled combined heat and power plant, which is expected to generate enough energy for the store to sell some power back to the National Grid .
A spokesman for the retailer confirmed the new green plans will be officially unveiled by chief executive Sir Terry Leahy at the London School of Economics on Friday.
