Gridserve jumps onto the Zap Map EV mapping service platform
Gridserve, the sustainable energy company that develops and operates clean energy solutions for critical power infrastructure, and which bought Electric Highway, the world’s first national EV charging network, from Stroud-based Ecotricity in June this year, has joined the live data network of Bristol-based Zap-Map, the electric vehicle (EV) mapping service.
The recently completed integration between the two companies means that the live availability status of Gridserve Electric Highway charging locations are now visible on Zap-Map. This will make planning charge stops easier, and deliver a network that people can rely on, without range or charging anxiety, wherever they live in the UK, and whatever type of electric vehicle they drive.arch.
The company’s significant investment in the Gridserve Electric Highway has seen legacy chargers already replaced with the latest technology at more than 85 locations across the UK. This progress has been achieved in four months, with the company operating at an extraordinary speed to upgrade the ageing network. The new chargers feature the latest advances, such as contactless payment, and certain chargers are capable of the fastest possible charging speeds of up to 350kW.
Gridserve is also installing high-power charging technology and will see the installation of more than 50 high power Electric Hubs with between six and twelve 350kW chargers in each location to be delivered across the UK motorway network. The company is also in the process of constructing multiple Electric Forecourts and destination charging Electric Hubs at many other locations nationwide. As Gridserve Electric Highway chargers are upgraded and as new sites are installed, all will be displayed on Zap-Map under the new ‘Gridserve Electric Highway’ network brand.
Today’s announcement formalises the relationship between Zap-Map and Gridserve to ensure all UK drivers are provided with the most up-to-date charging information, with all upgraded devices visible on Zap-Map. As with chargers from other live partners, Gridserve Electric Highway EV drivers will be able to see the latest live status on the Zap-Map app and desktop, updated every five minutes.
Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder and COO at Zap-Map, said:“It is so important for EV drivers to be able to see live status data when planning their journeys. The GRIDSERVE Electric Highway chargers are situated at critical locations across the UK, and we are delighted to be working closely with GRIDSERVE to display live status on Zap-Map. This will be welcome news to EV drivers, as we know they love the existing live data on Zap-Map, giving them more confidence as they get out and about in their EVs.”
Toddington Harper, CEO at GRIDSERVE, said: Zap-Map recently released a new version of the app that provides key updates to the existing free features, especially enhancements to route planning and filtering. As part of this, Zap-Map also introduced Zap-Map Plus and Zap-Map Premium, which provide additional new features for drivers to help them plan quicker and drive smarter.
Among other new features, users upgrading to Zap-Map Plus and Premium are able to distinguish which charge points are new (added in the last 30 days) on the map and as a list – for example, newly upgraded GRIDSERVE Electric Highway locations.
