Electric Car CHARGING rolling out at McDonald’s in the UK – and it’s 125kW Rapid Charging

McDonald’s partners with InstaVolt to roll out rapid charging for electric cars at its UK restaurants, offering proper 125kW Rapid charging.

The rise and rise of electric cars seems pretty much unstoppable for now, but as the take-up of electric cars starts to shift from ambitious early adopters to the mainstream, there are still a number of obstacles to overcome.

Price is still a big barrier for EVs, but there is light on the near horizon for that with predictions battery costs will soon mean EVs can be sold at prices comparable to ICE cars, and the electric car charging network is still an issue.

Yes, there are lots of little 7kW chargers floating around everywhere from on-street to supermarket car parks, but as batteries get bigger – and lower costs will see them getting better still – an hour-long charge at Tescos on a 7kW charge won’t do much more than get you home again.

But now McDonald’s has teamed up with InstaVolt to install proper Rapid Chargers at their UK Drive Thru restaurants, offering up to 125kW charge rates, enough to deliver an 80 per cent charge in most EVs in the time it takes you to wolf down a big Mac and Fries.

Paul Pomroy, McDonald’s UK CEO, said:

With over 1,300 restaurants our ambition would mean you would never be far from a charging point. As we look toward a return to normal service post-COVID19, drivers will be able to pop in for a coffee or a meal and get an 80% charge in 20 minutes. We are known for speed and convenience, and this partnership with InstaVolt will provide just that for EV driver.

And Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low (a joint industry and government campaign to promote the take-up of EVs), said:

The UK is home to an ever-expanding network of chargepoints with over 300 public chargepoint connectors installed in the last 30 days alone. The availability of chargepoints across the country, at locations like McDonald’s, will show people how convenient and easy it is to own and run an electric vehicle. This significant commitment to install new chargepoints is fantastic news for existing and future electric vehicle owners across the UK.

We don’t yet know which, or how many, of McDonald’s UK site will get rapid charging, but it all helps.