IKEA has announced a £4.5million electric charging infrastructure investment, providing charging points for electric delivery vehicles across the country.
This project will see IKEA install 196 chargers, of which 53 will be rapid, providing full charge on vehicles in under an hour. The chargers will be located at IKEA stores and across the country, as well as the new Dartford CDC due to open in spring 2023, with the first ones fitted in IKEA Cardiff this month.
The charging points will be available for all electric vehicles making home deliveries across the UK and Ireland for IKEA.
Jakob Bertilsson, Country Customer Fulfilment Manager at IKEA UK & Ireland, said:
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at IKEA, and we are always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the planet while supporting our customers to live more sustainable lives at home.
Investing in this infrastructure of nationwide charging points is a fundamental step in our ambition to reach 100% zero emissions deliveries from all IKEA stores and distribution centres to customers by 2025, as well as supporting our ambition to become a fully circular business by 2030.
IKEA is partnering with Mer, which is owned by Statkraft – Europe’s largest renewable energy producer. Mer will be responsible for the end-to-end implementation and ongoing management and maintenance.
Natasha Fry, Head of Sales at Mer UK, said:
IKEA is an iconic brand with a recognised commitment to sustainability. When they needed future-proof charge points for their zero-emission, last-mile fleet, they wanted to work with a partner who shares these values.
Rolling out charging infrastructure for electric vans is rarely straightforward and IKEA recognised that they needed an EV charging expert to guide them through the complexities of a project of this size. We look forward to supporting the IKEA team and, importantly, its customers in making sure last-mile deliveries are efficient and emission-free.
The investment from IKEA has also been welcomed by the government, with Transport Decarbonisation Minister Jesse Norman commenting:
It is great to see IKEA investing heavily in EV chargepoints and decarbonising its vehicle fleet.
This investment is the latest example of businesses and government working together to decarbonise all aspects of road transport, improve air quality and create healthier, buzzing communities.
IKEA’s sustainability strategy: People and Planet Positive.
