EV Charging Hub, Flamstead

Four Tesla Superchargers added to an existing petrol filling station at Flamstead in Hertfordshire, one of the former Applegreen sites now run by EG On The Move. The chargers sit alongside the forecourt and shop, so drivers can charge while they use the facilities that were already there.

The scheme is part of a wider programme. Since EG On The Move acquired Applegreen's UK forecourt estate, it has been adding EV charging across the sites it took on, and we were brought in to help deliver that roll-out. Flamstead is one site in that programme. The design work is about making a repeatable approach fit a specific forecourt.

Because the forecourt already has what a charging stop needs: road access, a known location, parking, toilets, food and coffee. A driver charging for 20 to 30 minutes wants somewhere to spend that time, and a forecourt shop turns dwell time into spend. The chargers bring in a new customer, and the existing offer gives them a reason to stay.

Superchargers are a recognised name among EV drivers and are among the most dependable high-power networks in the UK. Many UK Superchargers are now open to non-Tesla vehicles through the Tesla app, so four bays can serve a much wider audience than Tesla owners alone.

Power first. High-power chargers need a large grid supply, and the capacity available at the site, the route of the new connection and where the transformer and cabinets sit all shape the layout before any bay is drawn. On a working forecourt that equipment has to fit around fuel tanks, drainage, delivery routes and the existing buildings without getting in their way.

Then layout and circulation. Charging bays have to be easy to reach and leave, clear of the fuel pumps and the tanker route, and set out so a car parked for half an hour never blocks a car filling up for three minutes. Bay size, cable reach, lighting, accessibility and signage all matter to how the site feels at night and on a busy weekend. Planning looks at the equipment compound, lighting and any effect on neighbours or highway safety, so these points are resolved in the application rather than argued afterwards.