GRIDSERVE Electric Forecourts – Braintree, Norwich, Gatwick, Stevenage and Markham Vale
Designing the next generation of electric vehicle charging
Reimagining the forecourt
Bowman Riley worked with GRIDSERVE to develop a new generation of electric vehicle charging facilities, helping transform the traditional forecourt model for an increasingly electric future.
Our relationship began with the development of GRIDSERVE’s pioneering Electric Forecourt® at Braintree – the UK’s first dedicated electric vehicle charging forecourt. Since then, we have worked with GRIDSERVE on a growing portfolio of schemes across the UK, adapting and evolving the concept to suit different locations, sites and customer requirements.
From a large-scale flagship forecourt to compact urban facilities and an airport charging hub, the projects demonstrated how EV infrastructure could combine high-power charging with high-quality customer facilities and sustainable design.
Braintree | Establishing the concept
Bowman Riley supported the development of GRIDSERVE’s first Electric Forecourt® at Braintree, Essex.
Located on a greenfield technology park, the 100% renewable fast-charging facility was designed around a 5MVA power supply, with capacity for future expansion to 10MVA.
Alongside the charging facilities, we designed a modular building incorporating a vehicle showroom, convenience store, meeting spaces and customer lounge, creating a more comfortable experience while drivers charged their vehicles.
Photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting, extensive greenery and sustainable drainage were incorporated into the scheme, which targeted BREEAM Excellent.
Our role covered the whole site, including lead designer, project manager and Principal Designer responsibilities, as well as architectural design of the forecourt and delivery architect services for the modular building.
Norwich | Developing a compact model
Following Braintree, we worked with GRIDSERVE to develop its second electric service station in Norwich.
The challenge was to provide a similar charging and customer experience on a significantly smaller footprint. We responded by placing the charging bays beneath a two-storey building, with customer facilities located above.
The resulting Compact Electric Forecourt® incorporated the same number of chargers as Braintree, alongside a customer lounge, office pods, retail facilities and café.
The project demonstrated how the Electric Forecourt concept could be adapted to different sites while retaining its core customer experience.
Gatwick | Taking the concept to the airport
At London Gatwick Airport, Bowman Riley designed and delivered GRIDSERVE’s third major scheme with the client.
The compact Electric Forecourt® introduced high-power charging alongside a range of customer amenities, including a Costa Coffee, convenience store, EV showroom, lounge, meeting room and washrooms.
The facility incorporated a 5MW battery storage system and photovoltaic panels, with renewable energy generated through GRIDSERVE’s solar network.
Located at Gatwick’s South Terminal, the facility brought GRIDSERVE’s electric charging concept into a major international transport environment and was the first of its kind at a European international airport.
Stevenage | A new generation of Electric Forecourt®
At Stevenage, Bowman Riley supported the delivery of another major Electric Forecourt® scheme, taking the project through RIBA Stages 1–7.
The development incorporated a two-storey modular amenity building, rapid-charging bays beneath photovoltaic canopies and associated civil and electrical infrastructure.
Located on greenfield land within the Knebworth Estate alongside the A1(M), the design responded carefully to its rural setting while delivering the infrastructure and customer facilities required at a high-capacity EV charging destination.
Sustainability informed the project from the outset, including renewable energy generation, off-site modular construction and consideration of whole-life carbon.
The completed scheme went on to win the Alternative Fuels Outlet Award at the Forecourt Trader Awards 2025, recognising its innovation in EV infrastructure.
Markham Vale | Continuing the partnership
Our work with GRIDSERVE continued with the Electric Forecourt® at Markham Vale, which became the fifth electric forecourt Bowman Riley had delivered with the client.
The project further demonstrated the value of the established relationship, with our team providing architectural, lead designer and CDM Principal Designer services.
The opening marked another milestone in a partnership focused on supporting the transition towards a more sustainable road network.
Designing for a changing future
Across these projects, Bowman Riley helped GRIDSERVE evolve the Electric Forecourt® concept to respond to different locations, scales and customer needs.
From establishing the original model at Braintree, to developing compact solutions, an airport hub and larger-scale facilities, each project built on the knowledge gained from the last.
The relationship demonstrated our ability to combine forecourt expertise, architectural design, technical coordination and sustainable thinking to create infrastructure for a rapidly changing transport landscape.