How Solar Charging Tech Reshapes Britain’s EV Infrastructure

When GRIDSERVE launched in 2017, founder Toddington Harper identified a critical technology gap in Britain's emerging electric vehicle market.

Public charging infrastructure was unreliable, charging speeds were inadequate and the systems available offered little integration with renewable energy sources.

Toddington's solution centred on a technological proposition that would reshape the sector: connecting solar generation directly to EV charging through intelligent energy management systems.

The company's proprietary Sun-to-Wheel technology platform has since enabled thousands of drivers to charge vehicles using solar power, creating what GRIDSERVE positions as a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuel supply chains.

The technology architecture mirrors the oil industry's well-to-wheel model but replaces hydrocarbon extraction with photovoltaic generation.

According to calculations published by GRIDSERVE, one acre of solar panels in England can generate sufficient energy to power a million miles of electric driving annually.

Britain's first electric forecourt

GRIDSERVE's technology reached public visibility on 7 December 2020 with the opening of Britain's first all-electric charging forecourt in Great Notley, Essex.

Connected to the Clayhill solar farm approximately 50 miles away, the facility can rapidly charge up to 36 vehicles simultaneously using 100% renewable electricity.

The 350kW chargers deliver up to 200 miles of range following 20 minutes of charging, while a 6MWh battery storage system holds enough energy for 24,000 miles of electric driving.

The battery installation balances energy resources across peak and off-peak periods whilst maintaining competitive pricing for users.

The forecourt model demonstrated that solar-powered charging could operate at a commercial scale.

The facility includes customer amenities designed to match traditional petrol station offerings.

GRIDSERVE positioned the Great Notley site as a proof of concept for nationwide deployment.

The company used learnings from the facility to inform subsequent network expansion.

Upgrading the Electric Highway network

In July 2021, GRIDSERVE acquired Ecotricity's Electric Highway network, which maintained charging points at most UK motorway services.

The acquisition provided access to strategic locations but required substantial technological upgrading across the ageing infrastructure.

GRIDSERVE replaced existing equipment with modern units featuring contactless payment systems and deployed Electric Super Hubs at multiple service areas operated by Moto, Britain's largest motorway services operator.

These hubs feature six to twelve high-power chargers capable of delivering up to 350kW.

Across 2023, the network delivered over 1.9 million charging sessions, equating to more than 160 million zero-emission miles.

During 2024, GRIDSERVE added approximately 400 high-power charging bays.

By early 2025, the company operated more than 190 locations with 1,400 charging bays, delivering more than 250,000 charging sessions monthly.

The expansion represented one of the fastest infrastructure rollouts in the UK charging sector.

Electric HGV charging infrastructure

GRIDSERVE focused its technology development on electric HGV charging during 2024, addressing what the logistics sector identifies as a significant barrier to fleet electrification.

The company's eHGV charging hubs at Extra Baldock on the A1(M) and Moto Exeter on the M5 is the first installations under the Electric Freightway project, supported by Department for Transport funding.

An electric DAF XF completed a 200-mile journey between the two hubs using the public charging infrastructure, demonstrating the technical viability of zero-carbon freight operations at scale.

The company has expanded its partnership with Extra MSA, developing seven Super Hubs expected to add 96 high-power charging bays across the Extra estate by late 2026.

GRIDSERVE announced Daniel Kunkel as CEO in February 2025.

Daniel previously served as CEO of ubitricity, which developed into one of Europe's largest public on-street EV charging networks with 13,500 charge points under his leadership.

According to Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data, approximately one in five new cars sold in the UK during 2024 was battery electric.

As of early 2025, GRIDSERVE operates what it describes as the most-used charging network in the country, with development plans encompassing freight, retail, destination charging and international markets.