https://www.kentonline.co.uk/deal/news/aldi-slammed-for-pathetic-number-of-electric-car-charging-points-217772/
Letter to Editor:-
ALDI have been less than honest in their lack of provision of EV charging points in the new Deal store.
1. They state that with an average dwell time of less than 40 minutes vehicles would not have time to recharge.
Rapid DC chargers provide power at 50 kW (125A), use either the CHAdeMO or CCS charging standards. These are the most common type of rapid EV charge points currently, having been the standard for the best part of a decade. Both connectors typically charge an EV to 80% in 20-40 minutes depending on battery capacity and starting state of charge.
2. They waited until the local elections had been called in May to apply for the change of conditions. DDC officers then had the wool pulled over their eyes and nodded through the change with the approval of a single elected official there being no Planning Committee to properly consider the matter.
3. Elsewhere they do things differently. Since 2015 ALDI have been rolling out free rapid charging at all of their stores in Germany, and in Hungary are installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the parking lots of 123 Aldi supermarkets around the country, while vowing to include charging stations at most stores built in the future.
The question to be asked is 'why should a brand new supermarket in Deal not have that which is becoming a 'given' in Europe'?
The answer I suspect is that our supine council and its planning department will allow the to get away with.
As you say in your headline (EKM 11/12) 'pathetic'. It's pathetic on a number of counts.