RETAIL GIANT TEAMS UP WITH EUROPEAN PROVIDER IN THREE-YEAR DEAL

AND COMPANY ALSO ON LOCATION HUNT TO BRING SECOND STORE TO TOWN

ALDI UK is to install electric vehicle charging points at its Atherstone headquarters to encourage and support the uptake of sustainable driving.

In a new partnership with NewMotion, a leading European smart charging solutions provider, the supermarket chain will also install EV charging points at all new Aldi store locations across the UK, allowing customers to charge-up while shopping.

The three-year deal will add 140 chargers to the UK public network, with the potential of more to follow to match rising customer demand.

The NewMotion charge points will support charging speeds of up 22kW, significantly higher than the 7kW chargers generally available - ensuring Aldi's EV infrastructure is future-proofed to accommodate newer EV models that will have bigger battery sizes and support greater charging speeds.

Fritz Walleczek, managing director of corporate responsibility at Aldi UK, said: "Sustainability and protecting the environment is extremely important to us and our customers.

"We are delighted to be working with NewMotion to offer shoppers access to fast, easy charging facilities when they visit our stores, and to further support our colleagues to make more environmentally-friendly choices."

Meanwhile, the company is looking for locations to bring a second store to the town.

Aldi, the UK's fifth largest supermarket, has been on an expansion drive in recent years as it targets going from 880 to 1,200 stores open by 2025.

In addition to Atherstone, it has earmarked 11 other towns in Warwickshire where the criteria is each site should be around 1.5 acres and able to accommodate a 20,000 sq ft store with around 100 parking spaces, ideally on a prominent main road and with good visibility and access.