Abingdon EV charging company set for five day rally

The EV Rally is in its fourth year and brings together vehicles and businesses such as Compleo, to show the ease of transitioning to electric vehicles.

This year, it has adopted an old-school mapping theme, embarking on a five-day journey covering the length and breadth of England from points A to Z.

It will begin on Monday, July 1, with scheduled check points along the route where participants can take a break and recharge their batteries.

One of these will stop swill take place at Tingley Garden Centre in West Yorkshire.

The site's charging hub has 56 Compleo EV chargers which are powered by a combination of solar panels and 100 per cent green electricity generated from sun, wind and water.

The rally will also stop in Oxfordshire at Redbridge park and ride, which is home to the Fastned SuperHub, on July 4.

The charging hub at Redbridge park and ride (Image: Oxford City Council)

Jo Dales, head of marketing for Yorkshire Garden Centres Group, said: "It’s great to offer customers the chance to charge whilst they shop, eat and play at Tingley Garden Centre.

"We’re delighted to have been chosen as a showcase for destination charging and are really looking forward to hosting the EV Rally teams at Tingley next month."

Compleo will also field two teams during the rally, giving participants the opportunity to try out the latest electric cars from Hyundai and Kia.

The German-owned company has established a strong presence in the UK, deploying more than 1,200 chargers at franchised car dealerships and nearly 1,000 at Network Rail sites.

The company will also be sponsoring the Women Drive Electric team, an organisation aiming to make EVs more appealing and attainable for female motorists.

Clare Nicol, Compleo’s head of marketing and communications, will join the team on the rally and said: "We're thrilled to join the EV Rally and showcase the UK’s EV charging success.

"Public, workplace, and depot charging are integral to the road to net-zero, and we're eager to demonstrate how straightforward it is to integrate charging solutions into any business, whether it's an office with five parking spaces or a garden centre with 500."

Colin Boyton, rally event manager, added: "I am delighted to welcome Compleo to the event for 2024, giving us the opportunity to truly showcase fleet and workplace charging solutions in the UK."

"We're excited about the prospect of stopping at one of their key locations on day two, leveraging the power of the Rally to demonstrate the art of what's possible."