Transforming EV Charging Across the UK – Lessons from the Road

At WILLBERT, we are committed to shaping the future of EV charging by aligning innovative solutions with real-world needs. To ensure our solutions truly address market challenges, our team embarked on a tour across UK Motorway Service Areas [MSA] and Forecourts, engaging with operators and observing how the EV charging ecosystem integrates with existing MSA operations.

This journey provided invaluable insights into the current state of EV charging in one of the world’s fastest-growing EV markets. Here’s what we learned:

Challenges in Today’s EV Charging Landscape

Reliability Issues: A consistent pain point is the lack of uptime reliability. Too many chargers are offline, too many sessions start with no success, frustrating both EV drivers and forecourt operators.

Suboptimal Layouts: Many forecourt designs fail to accommodate the unique requirements of EV drivers and MSA Retailers, resulting in wasted space and poor user experiences.

Missed Retail Opportunities: A significant proportion of EV drivers remain in their cars during charging sessions, missing out on the chance to engage with on-site retail offerings. Compared to the traditional fueling model that supports thriving forecourt businesses, EV drivers pay for their charging on the spot and are left with no incentive to visit the shop.

Opportunities and Positive Trends

EV Adoption is Accelerating: It’s clear that the UK is experiencing dynamic growth in EV adoption, bringing new demand for accessible, fast, and reliable charging infrastructure.

Well-Developed Forecourt Ecosystem: UK MSA and forecourts already excel at serving the needs of internal combustion engine (ICE) drivers, offering convenience, refreshments, and other services. But the shift to EVs requires a new integration model—one where charging goes beyond energy delivery to seamlessly blend with retail operations.

Transforming Forecourt Business Models: This evolution presents a huge opportunity to adapt to EV drivers’ needs while preserving—and even enhancing—the revenue streams that forecourt operators rely on.

How WILLBERT Addresses These Challenges

At WILLBERT, we’re not just building chargers; we’re rethinking the entire EV charging ecosystem. Our vertically integrated solutions tailor made for Roadside Retailers  are designed to address these pain points and unlock the potential of forecourts.

Reliability First: With our advanced hardware and software systems, including real-time monitoring via the HAWKe platform, we ensure industry-leading uptime and a seamless customer experience.

Smart Design: Our Amber II S-Hub chargers are compact, scalable, and adaptable to any forecourt layout, ensuring that every square meter is maximized for operational and customer benefit.

Retail Monetization: Through integrated retail solutions like PayBERT, BuyBERT and AdBERT, we transform chargers into revenue-generating platforms, enabling direct payments, advertising opportunities, and retail integration—all on the charger itself.

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