Fox Valley leads the charge for electric vehicle drivers

Electric car drivers shopping at north Sheffield’s Fox Valley are now able to charge their vehicles whilst they shop, with the arrival of six InstaVolt rapid electric vehicle chargers.

The new chargers were officially launched by the Penistone and Stocksbridge MP Miriam Cates at the award-winning retail development.  The chargers can be found in the car park in between Dominos and Aldi.

The retail development is one of the latest sites in the UK to benefit from InstaVolt’s electric vehicle chargers – the centre is home to a great line up of shops, cafes and restaurants for visitors to enjoy whilst they charge their vehicle.

Fox Valley is in Stocksbridge, just off the busy A616 connecting Sheffield to Manchester. The arrival of the chargers provides much needed reliable charging infrastructure for the growing number of EV drivers in the area.

CEO Adrian Keen explains: “The number of electric cars on the road is increasing year-on-year and that’s only going to rise further so we’re already future-proofing our offering. Having six chargers in one location means that even if several are in use, drivers can still access the reliable service InstaVolt has to offer. Until this hub was energised, the area was a charging blackspot so this is a much needed addition to the regions charging infrastructure.

“The drivers who use our chargers tell us they like to have access to local facilities, and with a choice of shops at this location including Aldi, Boots, Costa, Dominos and Greggs, plus a number of independent restaurants and retailers, there is a wide choice. It means that charging an electric vehicle can easily fit into a shopping trip or grabbing something to eat, which is easy and convenient for drivers.”

Miriam Cates MP added: “I’m delighted to open the new Instavolt chargers here at Fox Valley. It’s great to see more and more electric car chargers in shopping centres and car parks. Facilities like this make it possible for people to switch from petrol and diesel to electric vehicles, which is vital the UK if we are to reach our target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. “

Fox Valley is one of several retail developments owned by Dransfield Properties to pave the way for InstaVolt chargers.

Mark Dransfield, Managing Director, said: “We’re thrilled to be at the forefront of this exciting new chapter for InstaVolt and cater even better for electric car drivers visiting our sites. Electric vehicles are an increasing sight at our centres and we strive to deliver those services that our visitors need.”

Like all of InstaVolt’s chargers, those at Fox Valley are available for EV drivers to use on a pay-as-you-go basis with no subscription, card or membership needed. Drivers simply tap their contactless credit or debit card to pay.

The hassle-free approach has recently seen the firm top the user satisfaction rankings for electric car charging networks in the UK that can be used by multiple models of electric vehicle.

The ‘hub’ of chargers were installed by Fulcrum, an independent utility services partner specialising in electric vehicle charging.

The InstaVolt chargers at Fox Valley went live in December, and are now searchable at https://instavolt.co.uk/find-electric-vehicle-charge-point-map/ and through the Zap-Map app.