Destination Charging Rollout for Regional Retailer
Deploying EV charging across 12 sites in 6 months, creating a new revenue stream and improving customer experience.
The Situation
A regional garden centre and leisure group with 15 sites across the Midlands wanted to offer EV charging to customers. They had received approaches from several CPO partners but were unsure how to evaluate them or what the right commercial model would be.
They needed someone to help them understand the landscape, evaluate partner options, and manage the rollout across their priority sites.
What Was Unclear
- Which sites were viable for EV charging (power availability varied widely)
- Whether to self-fund, partner with a CPO, or use a hybrid model
- How to evaluate the 4 different CPO proposals they had received
- What infrastructure would be needed and at what cost
- How to ensure consistent quality across multiple locations
What We Did
I provided end-to-end advisory support:
- Conducted site feasibility assessments for all 15 locations (12 viable in phase 1)
- Created a scoring framework to evaluate CPO partner proposals objectively
- Negotiated commercial terms with the selected partner (revenue share model)
- Developed site-specific requirements and managed contractor selection
- Oversaw installation quality across all 12 sites
- Set up ongoing performance monitoring and escalation processes
What Improved
12 sites live in 6 months
From initial assessment to operational
Revenue-positive from month 4
CPO partner model with no capex
Customer dwell time up 15%
EV drivers spending more in-store
Clear phase 2 plan
Remaining 3 sites scheduled for grid upgrades
What We Would Do Again
- Start with a proper site feasibility study before engaging CPO partners
- Use a structured scoring framework to compare partner proposals
- Negotiate performance SLAs into the contract from day one
- Plan for phase 2 from the start, even if some sites need grid work
What We Would Avoid
- Do not accept the first CPO proposal without benchmarking
- Do not underestimate the variation in power availability between sites
- Do not assume the CPO will handle everything without oversight
Considering destination charging?
If you are a retailer, hospitality business, or destination operator exploring EV charging, I can help you navigate the options. Book a call to discuss.