{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"287 - The Supermarket Charging Episode","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/287-the-supermarket-charging-episode","audioUrl":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/1e944e8a-2db0-4c34-ad59-0d9d8f4e4577.mp3","description":"Exploring the evolution of supermarket charging stations for electric vehicles, their strategic deployment, pricing models, and user experience insights.Key topicsHistory and evolution of supermarket EV charging stationsDifferent supermarket charging strategies and hardwarePricing models and user incentivesDwell time and charging speed considerationsImpact of supermarket charging on EV adoptionKey Quote:\"Supermarket charging can be surprisingly cheap\"ResourcesEV Musings Podcast - https://evmusings.comZAPMAP - https://zap-map.comSainsbury's Smart Charge - https://sainsburys.co.ukGeniePoint - https://geniepoint.co.ukPodpoint - https://podpoint.comMFG (Motor Fuel Group) - https://mfgplc.co.ukThe EV Musings Podcast is sponsored by Zapmap, the go-to app for EV drivers, helping you find and pay for public charging with confidence.Links in the show notes:MFG and Morrisons announce forecourts partnership and EV expansion - Motor Fuel GroupSainsbury's Smart Charge: A New Player in the UK EV Charging Market - The EV Musings Podcast140 - The CPO Episode II - The EV Musings PodcastEpisode produced by Arran Sheppard at Urban Podcasts: https://www.urbanpodcasts.co.uk(C) 2019-2026 Gary ComerfordSupport me: Patreon Link: http://www.patreon.com/evmusingsKo-fi Link: http://www.ko-fi.com/evmusingsThe Books:'So, you've gone electric?' on Amazon : https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07Q5JVF1X'So, you've gone renewable?’ on Amazon : https://amzn.to/3LXvIckSocial Media:EVMusings: Twitter https://twitter.com/MusingsEvInstagram: @EVmusingsOctopus Energy referral code (Click this link to get started) https://share.octopus.energy/neat-star-460Upgrade to smarter EV driving with a free week's trial of Zapmap Premium, find out more here https://evmusings.com/zapmap-premiumMentioned in this episode:ZapmapThe EV Musings Podcast is sponsored by Zapmap, the go-to app for EV drivers, helping you find and pay for public charging with confidence. Zapmap is free to download and use, with subscription plans for enhanced features such as using Zapmap in-car on CarPlay or Android Auto, and discounted charging across thousands of charge points.\n\nDownload the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store or find out more at www.zapmap.com.Zapmap EV Guide"},"annotations":[{"startTime":32.6,"endTime":36.2,"type":"term","title":"supermarket charging","url":"/glossary/supermarket-charging","quote":"Now our main topic of discussion today is supermarket charging. Supermarkets have been selling petrol to the public for many years.","canonicalId":"term:supermarket-charging","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Supermarket charging refers to electric vehicle charging stations located at supermarket parking lots, allowing EV owners to charge their cars while shopping. This concept mirrors how petrol has traditionally been sold at supermarkets to attract customers.","simplifiedExplanation":"Supermarket charging means you can plug in your electric car to get power while you shop at a supermarket. It's like filling up your gas car at a petrol station, but for electric cars."}},{"startTime":78.2,"endTime":85.3,"type":"term","title":"loss leader","url":"/glossary/loss-leader","quote":"It's generally thought that supermarkets do this as a loss leader by selling petrol at below cost. But in recent interview I did with Saint-Peters, they assure me they don't sell it at a loss.","canonicalId":"term:loss-leader","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A loss leader is a pricing strategy where a product is sold at a price below its cost to attract customers, with the expectation that they will purchase other profitable items. Supermarkets often use petrol as a loss leader to bring shoppers into their stores.","simplifiedExplanation":"A loss leader is when a store sells something like petrol for less than it costs them, hoping you'll come inside and buy other things too."}},{"startTime":91.9,"endTime":102.1,"type":"term","title":"pricing strategies","url":"/glossary/pricing-strategies","quote":"Now this means they're using various pricing strategies to reduce the price per gallon to the absolute lowest it can be and still make a profit per litre, even if that's a penny or even a half penny a litre.","canonicalId":"term:pricing-strategies","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Pricing strategies are methods companies use to set prices to maximize profits or market share. Here, supermarkets adjust petrol prices to attract customers while still making a small profit.","simplifiedExplanation":"Pricing strategies are ways stores decide how much to charge for things so they can make money but also get people to buy more."}},{"startTime":133.9,"endTime":140.4,"type":"term","title":"50 kilowatt charger","url":"/glossary/50-kilowatt-charger","quote":"Way back in time, GeniePoint struck a deal with Morrison's to add a single 50 kilowatt charger at most of their stores.","canonicalId":"term:50-kilowatt-charger","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A 50 kilowatt charger is a type of DC fast charger for electric vehicles that can deliver up to 50 kW of power, allowing faster charging compared to standard chargers.","simplifiedExplanation":"A 50 kilowatt charger is a fast electric car charger that can fill up your car's battery quicker than normal chargers."}},{"startTime":133.9,"endTime":140.4,"type":"company","title":"GeniePoint","url":"/glossary/geniepoint","quote":"Way back in time, GeniePoint struck a deal with Morrison's to add a single 50 kilowatt charger at most of their stores.","canonicalId":"company:geniepoint","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"GeniePoint is a company that operates electric vehicle charging networks, partnering with retailers like supermarkets to install EV chargers at their locations.","simplifiedExplanation":"GeniePoint is a company that puts electric car chargers at places like supermarkets so people can charge their cars while shopping."}},{"startTime":146.82,"endTime":282.52,"type":"concept","title":"electric vehicle charging","url":"/glossary/electric-vehicle-charging","quote":"GeniePoint, about this in one of my earlier roundtable episodes...There are also chargers at pretty","canonicalId":"concept:electric-vehicle-charging","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Electric vehicle charging refers to the process of replenishing the battery of an electric vehicle using specialized charging stations that provide electrical energy.","simplifiedExplanation":"Electric vehicle charging means plugging in an electric car to get more battery power so it can keep driving."}},{"startTime":152.6,"endTime":263.7,"type":"company","title":"Podpoint","url":"/glossary/pod-point","quote":"Tom Hurst from Fastnet, and James Bikimi, who was with Podpoint at the time, to talk about their respective companies....They had seven kilowatt chargers at a number of their stores, usually branded as Podpoint,","canonicalId":"company:pod-point","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Podpoint is a UK-based electric vehicle charging company that installs and operates EV chargers, including at supermarkets and public locations.","simplifiedExplanation":"Podpoint is a company that puts in chargers for electric cars so people can recharge their vehicles when they are out."}},{"startTime":162.58,"endTime":167.46,"type":"car","title":"Dodge Charger","url":"/cars/dodge/charger","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/1970_Dodge_Charger_R-T_Hirschaid_22-20220709-RM-120204.jpg","quote":"...t of that discussion was that a single  low-power charger at a supermarket probably wasn't going to be the ...","canonicalId":"car:dodge:charger","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The Dodge Charger is a full-size sedan known for its powerful engine options and muscle car heritage. It is often discussed for its performance capabilities and aggressive styling, making it a popular choice among enthusiasts. In the context of charging, it might be contrasted with electric vehicles due to its traditional gasoline powertrain.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Dodge Charger is a big car that looks sporty and can go really fast because of its strong engine. People like it because it’s fun to drive and has a cool design. It uses regular gas, so it doesn’t need special charging like electric cars.","imageAttribution":"Ermell (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":162.6,"endTime":167.5,"type":"term","title":"low-power charger","url":"/glossary/low-power-charger","quote":"a single low-power charger at a supermarket probably wasn't going to be the sort of thing that would be the long-term solution.","canonicalId":"term:low-power-charger","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A low-power charger provides a relatively slow rate of electrical energy transfer to an electric vehicle, resulting in longer charging times compared to high-power chargers.","simplifiedExplanation":"A low-power charger is a charger that fills up an electric car's battery slowly, so it takes more time to charge."}},{"startTime":167.5,"endTime":173.1,"type":"term","title":"charging cost","url":"/glossary/charging-cost","quote":"You coupled that with poor hardware choice and a high charging cost at GeniePoint, and it's no surprise that these were very poorly received","canonicalId":"term:charging-cost","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Charging cost refers to the price paid by electric vehicle owners to use public charging stations, which can vary based on power level, location, and provider.","simplifiedExplanation":"Charging cost is how much money you have to pay to charge your electric car at a public charger."}},{"startTime":173.1,"endTime":177.6,"type":"concept","title":"charger utilization","url":"/glossary/charger-utilization","quote":"it's no surprise that these were very poorly received and I would imagine had very low utilization.","canonicalId":"concept:charger-utilization","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Charger utilization describes how often and how much electric vehicle charging stations are used by customers, indicating their effectiveness and demand.","simplifiedExplanation":"Charger utilization means how many people actually use a charging station and how busy it is."}},{"startTime":183.6,"endTime":210.3,"type":"company","title":"Tesco","url":"/glossary/tesco","quote":"Next up were Tesco, who employed Pod, formerly Podpoint, to install a couple of chargers in each of their larger stores...rather than using their home electricity, which would cost them","canonicalId":"company:tesco","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Tesco is a large UK supermarket chain that has installed electric vehicle chargers at some of its larger stores to provide charging services to customers.","simplifiedExplanation":"Tesco is a big grocery store in the UK that also puts in electric car chargers at some of its stores."}},{"startTime":194.2,"endTime":199.6,"type":"concept","title":"charging tariff","url":"/glossary/charging-tariff","quote":"the rising fuel prices meant they added a tariff to chargers at their sites. Now, this had the dual effect of decreasing utilization,","canonicalId":"concept:charging-tariff","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A charging tariff is a pricing scheme applied to electric vehicle charging, where users pay a fee based on usage, time, or energy consumed.","simplifiedExplanation":"A charging tariff means you have to pay money to use a charger, like a fee or price for charging your car."}},{"startTime":215.8,"endTime":243.6,"type":"company","title":"Sainsbury's","url":"/glossary/sainsbury-s","quote":"Then in a move which surprised a lot of people, supermarket chain Sainsbury's made a big play in the supermarket charging field by installing a lot of high-power chem-power chargers at a large number of their stores...","canonicalId":"company:sainsbury-s","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Sainsbury's is a major UK supermarket chain that has invested heavily in installing high-power electric vehicle chargers at many of its stores.","simplifiedExplanation":"Sainsbury's is a big grocery store in the UK that put in a lot of fast chargers for electric cars at their stores."}},{"startTime":221.0,"endTime":239.4,"type":"term","title":"high-power charger","url":"/glossary/high-power-charger","quote":"Sainsbury's made a big play in the supermarket charging field by installing a lot of high-power chem-power chargers at a large number of their stores in a rather short time.","canonicalId":"term:high-power-charger","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"High-power chargers deliver a large amount of electrical energy quickly to electric vehicles, significantly reducing charging time compared to lower power chargers.","simplifiedExplanation":"A high-power charger is a charger that fills up an electric car's battery really fast, so you don't have to wait long."}},{"startTime":227.2,"endTime":231.8,"type":"term","title":"charging hub","url":"/glossary/charging-hub","quote":"they've gone from zero to 81 hubs at their stores, providing fast, reliable charging at a cost that's high,","canonicalId":"term:charging-hub","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A charging hub is a location with multiple electric vehicle chargers grouped together to serve several vehicles simultaneously.","simplifiedExplanation":"A charging hub is a place where many electric car chargers are set up together so lots of cars can charge at once."}},{"startTime":263.7,"endTime":268.9,"type":"term","title":"AC charging","url":"/glossary/ac-charging","quote":"a single 50 kilowatt, three-headed charger capable of CCS, Chatham-O, and AC charging in one place.","canonicalId":"term:ac-charging","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"AC charging refers to charging electric vehicles using alternating current, typically slower than DC fast charging, and common for home or public chargers.","simplifiedExplanation":"AC charging means charging an electric car using regular electricity like from a home plug, which is usually slower than fast chargers."}},{"startTime":263.7,"endTime":268.9,"type":"term","title":"CCS charging","url":"/glossary/ccs-charging","quote":"a single 50 kilowatt, three-headed charger capable of CCS, Chatham-O, and AC charging in one place.","canonicalId":"term:ccs-charging","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"CCS (Combined Charging System) is a fast charging standard for electric vehicles that supports high power DC charging through a standardized connector.","simplifiedExplanation":"CCS charging is a way to quickly charge electric cars using a special plug that works with many different car brands."}},{"startTime":288.8,"endTime":293.2,"type":"term","title":"CPOs","url":"/glossary/cpos","quote":"Marks and Spencer have them, different CPOs, different prices, different charge speed, and we'll cover charge speed in a moment.","canonicalId":"term:cpos","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"CPOs stands for Charge Point Operators, companies that own and manage electric vehicle charging stations.","simplifiedExplanation":"CPOs are companies that run the places where you plug in your electric car to charge."}},{"startTime":288.8,"endTime":293.2,"type":"term","title":"charge speed","url":"/glossary/charge-speed","quote":"Marks and Spencer have them, different CPOs, different prices, different charge speed, and we'll cover charge speed in a moment.","canonicalId":"term:charge-speed","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Charge speed refers to how quickly an electric vehicle's battery can be replenished at a charging station, often measured in kilowatts.","simplifiedExplanation":"Charge speed means how fast an electric car can get its battery filled up when plugged in."}},{"startTime":302.7,"endTime":314.3,"type":"company","title":"MFG Motor Fuel Group","url":"/glossary/mfg-motor-fuel-group","quote":"MFG Motor Fuel Group and Morrison's came to an agreement where Motor Fuel Group purchased 337 of the Morrison's petrol four courts and 40 associated sites and will be using them for ultra rapid EV charging development.","canonicalId":"company:mfg-motor-fuel-group","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"MFG Motor Fuel Group is a company that owns and operates fuel stations and is expanding into ultra rapid electric vehicle charging infrastructure.","simplifiedExplanation":"MFG Motor Fuel Group is a company that runs gas stations and is now putting in very fast electric car chargers."}},{"startTime":314.3,"endTime":346.9,"type":"term","title":"ultra rapid EV charging","url":"/glossary/ultra-rapid-ev-charging","quote":"MFG were using them for ultra rapid EV charging development. They were targeting the installation of 800 ultra rapid 150 kilowatt EV chargers in hubs within the first five years alone.","canonicalId":"term:ultra-rapid-ev-charging","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Ultra rapid EV charging refers to electric vehicle charging stations that provide very high power output, typically 150 kilowatts or more, allowing for much faster charging times compared to standard or rapid chargers.","simplifiedExplanation":"Ultra rapid EV charging means charging electric cars really fast, so the battery fills up quicker than usual."}},{"startTime":442.3,"endTime":450.3,"type":"term","title":"loyalty cards","url":"/glossary/loyalty-cards","quote":"Now, the next thing to look at from a pro point of view is loyalty cards. Supermarkets were always good at allowing you to use your club cards and loyalty cards when buying petrol. It's a great way of rewarding you for doing something you'd need to do anyway.","canonicalId":"term:loyalty-cards","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Loyalty cards are programs offered by retailers, including supermarkets, that reward customers with points or discounts for purchases, which can sometimes be applied to services like petrol or electric vehicle charging.","simplifiedExplanation":"Loyalty cards are special cards from stores that give you points or discounts when you shop or buy things like fuel or charging for your car."}},{"startTime":494.8,"endTime":508.0,"type":"term","title":"kilowatt hour","url":"/glossary/kilowatt-hour","quote":"Pod formerly podpoint are providing seven kilowatt charging at 25 pence a kilowatt hour. Now, just to put that in context, that's cheaper than a charge at my house if I'm not using the overnight rate because I'm about 29 pence a kilowatt hour.","canonicalId":"term:kilowatt-hour","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A kilowatt hour (kWh) is a unit of energy commonly used to measure electricity consumption, including the amount of energy used to charge electric vehicles.","simplifiedExplanation":"A kilowatt hour is a way to measure how much electricity your car uses when charging, like how much fuel a gas car uses."}},{"startTime":527.5,"endTime":536.58,"type":"term","title":"dwell time","url":"/glossary/dwell-time","quote":"So let's have a quick look at the cons then. And this is where we come into the concept of dwell time. Now, dwell time was always going to be an issue with supermarket charging. Ideally, you need to charge it in there that will allow you to take the maximum amount","canonicalId":"term:dwell-time","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Dwell time refers to the amount of time a vehicle remains parked in one spot, which affects how long it can be charged at locations like supermarkets.","simplifiedExplanation":"Dwell time means how long your car stays parked in one place, which matters because it decides how much charging you can do while parked."}},{"startTime":578.0,"endTime":584.9,"type":"term","title":"range","url":"/glossary/range","quote":"On an efficient EV, that will get you 12 miles of range. It's not nothing, but it's not going to make a drastic difference unless you're 15 miles from your destination with just five miles left on the gomp.","canonicalId":"term:range","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Range refers to the distance an electric vehicle can travel on a single full charge. It depends on battery capacity, driving conditions, and efficiency.","simplifiedExplanation":"Range is how far your electric car can go before it needs to be charged again."}},{"startTime":620.5,"endTime":637.8,"type":"term","title":"charging abuse","url":"/glossary/charging-abuse","quote":"Now, the other problem with and we've mentioned it earlier with supermarket charging is it can be abused. And we've already talked about people who decided, particularly back when the prices were cheap, to plug in at a supermarket charger all night rather than pay for their home charging.","canonicalId":"term:charging-abuse","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Charging abuse refers to the misuse of public electric vehicle chargers, such as leaving a vehicle plugged in for excessive periods, which can prevent others from charging and increase costs for operators.","simplifiedExplanation":"Charging abuse happens when people leave their electric car plugged in too long at public chargers, stopping others from using them."}},{"startTime":648.6,"endTime":658.0,"type":"term","title":"smart charger","url":"/glossary/smart-charger","quote":"And when we spoke to a smart charger back in season 12, they told us that they thought the power they were supplying for charging, which is 350 kilowatts, was enough for their dwell time.","canonicalId":"term:smart-charger","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A smart charger is an electric vehicle charger that can communicate with the vehicle and the power grid to optimize charging speed, cost, and energy usage. It can adjust power delivery based on dwell time and demand.","simplifiedExplanation":"A smart charger is a special electric car charger that can talk to your car and the electricity system to charge your car in the best way."}},{"startTime":693.8,"endTime":699.8,"type":"term","title":"50 kilowatt unit","url":"/glossary/50-kilowatt-unit","quote":"they've removed the old, ugly, nasty, three-headed, ugly Genie Point chargers and replaced them with some similar low-power, fairly slimline MFG 50 kilowatt units.","canonicalId":"term:50-kilowatt-unit","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A 50 kilowatt (kW) charging unit is an electric vehicle charger that delivers up to 50 kW of power, typically considered a fast charger suitable for many EVs but slower than ultra-rapid chargers. It allows for quicker charging than standard home chargers.","simplifiedExplanation":"A 50 kilowatt charger is a device that can fill up an electric car's battery faster than a normal plug at home, but it's not the fastest kind available."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Gary Comerford","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/287-the-supermarket-charging-episode/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}