A Sainsbury’s in Watford has unveiled a new ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging hub.

The 'Smart Charge' facility will allow customers to have their electric vehicles charged in as little as 30 minutes.

The charging hub, located at the supermarket's Dome roundabout store on Cow Lane, offers the fastest type of EV charging currently available, with 12 ultra-rapid charging bays.

Customers can refill their EV batteries swiftly and travel up to 200 miles thereafter, according to Sainsbury's, rather than endure longer waiting periods with the more widespread slower charging solutions.

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s director of property, procurement & EV ventures, said: "We know that demand for speedy, reliable charging facilities in the UK continues to grow and that’s why we’ve brought Smart Charge, our new best-in-class EV charging service, to Watford.

"We hope local EV drivers, as well as those passing through the area, will enjoy the added convenience and choice this new ultra-rapid charging hub provides.

"Dome roundabout is our 25th Smart Charge location to go live and we’re looking forward to opening many more throughout the UK this year."

The new charging points located in the store’s car park, named Smart Charge, are being marketed as convenient for both local and visiting EV users as the charging hub isn't reserved solely for Sainsbury's customers.

The space around these charge points has been designed taking into account the accessibility needs of disabled customers and those with young children.

The Smart Charge facility is the first of its kind to be fully owned and operated by a UK supermarket.

Presently, more than 230 ultra-rapid charging bays at 25 Sainsbury’s locations fall under the Smart Charge umbrella.

As part of the Smart Charge expansion plan, by the end of 2024, 750 additional bays are expected to be operational across 100 Sainsbury’s locations.

This is in a bid to for the supermarket to cement its position among the top five providers of ultra-rapid EV charging in the UK.

The service's primary aim is to bolster the adoption of electric vehicles in the UK, thus lending support to the transition towards a low-carbon economy.

More details regarding the service are available at the Smart Charge website.