It’s a Friday morning at what looks like a very big fuel station off the A131 in Essex. Instead of petrol and diesel, the 36 pumps are dispensing electricity to cars and vans arriving in a steady stream. To keep customers out of the rain, there are canopies over the pumps — ultra-rapid chargers, rated at 350kW, which can add 200 miles of range to an electric car in 20 minutes. Drivers, who are parked parallel to chargers for quick entry and exit, can keep a check on the charging process via an app on their phones while they use the coffee shop, the grocery shop, or the wi-fi-enabled lounge area with kids’ zone. If problems arise, there’s a help desk on site staffed with
