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Episode 140: Liz Allan and Gary Comerford - Driving Change: What Makes an Outstanding EV Charging Experience?

Liz Allan is once again joined by Gary Comerford, host of the EV Musings Podcast. Together, they take a deep dive into the world of EV charging experiences, sharing personal anecdotes, lessons learned, and small but vital improvements that could transform EV adoption.

Gary brings his six years of EV driving experience into the conversation, offering brilliant insights into how the public charging network has evolved and where it still needs to develop. From memorable moments involving misaligned GPS pins to the essential elements that make or break a charging experience, Liz and Gary cover it all with their trademark warmth, humour, and constructive spirit.

They discuss the impact of good signage, payment reliability, canopy protection, proactive fault management, and why transparency around charging speeds is critical for drivers. This episode is a must-listen for CPOs, EV drivers, and anyone passionate about making EV journeys smoother, safer, and more satisfying.

Gary Comerford Bio:
Gary Comerford hosts the EV Musings podcast, where he shares practical advice, interviews, and real-world experiences from the front lines of electric vehicle adoption. An EV driver since 2018, Gary’s passion for demystifying the EV journey shines through. With a keen eye for what makes or breaks the charging experience, he’s become a trusted voice within the EV community, advocating for improvements that benefit drivers and infrastructure providers.

Gary Comerford Links:
Website: https://evmusings.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garycomerford

Quote of the Episode:
"A lot of charge point operators think they're doing fine because they’re busy, but being used isn’t the same as being loved. True success comes from making the EV charging experience as seamless and intuitive as possible."
— Gary Comerford, EV Musings Podcast

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The Electric Evolution Podcast is proudly produced by Podforge, helping purpose-driven voices be heard.

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Episode 139: Liz Allan and Richard Hackforth-Jones - Sainsbury’s Smart Charge Vision for Net Zero and Customer Excellence.
Liz Allan speaks to Richard Hackforth-Jones, Product and Operations Director at Sainsbury’s Smart Charge, to explore how one of the UK’s biggest retail giants is revolutionising the EV charging landscape. Richard shares Smart Charge's incredible growth journey, from launching its first site in July 2023 to rapidly scaling to over 75 sites and 615 ultra-rapid charging bays in less than a year. More than just numbers, Richard dives into Sainsbury’s customer-first approach, using its retail expertise, existing property assets, and Nectar loyalty scheme to make EV charging both accessible and rewarding for drivers. He explains how their ability to use existing grid connections and relentless focus on process improvement make Smart Charge a stand-out player in the industry.

Richard Hackforth-Jones Bio:
Richard Hackforth-Jones is the Product and Operations Director at Sainsbury’s Smart Charge, leading the charge (quite literally) on scaling one of the UK’s fastest-growing EV charging networks. With a background spanning tech consultancy, product management, and e-mobility strategy, Richard brings a unique blend of technical know-how and strategic insight to the EV space. Passionate about simplifying the EV driver experience, Richard is driving Smart Charge’s mission to deliver ultra-rapid, accessible, and customer-friendly charging at Sainsbury’s nationwide, while supporting the retailer’s broader net-zero goals.

Quote of the Episode:
"We have a duty, as an industry, to make it easy to onboard those customers into this new behaviour of public charging. If we don’t, we risk leaving people behind.” Richard Hackforth-Jones, Sainsbury’s Smart Charge

Richard Hackforth-Jones Links:
Website: https://smartcharge.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-drake-hackforth-jones

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode of Electric Evolution, please take a moment to leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us improve and enables more people to discover valuable insights from our amazing guests.

Click the link below to find out how to add a review on Apple or Spotify
https://bit.ly/4dtiMJK

The Electric Evolution Podcast is proudly produced by Podforge, helping purpose-driven voices be heard.

Links for Full Circle CI:
Download our EV Charging White Paper: https://fullcircleci.co.uk/plugging-into-the-future-whitepaper
Visit our website: https://fullcircleci.co.uk/podcasts
Support our podcast here: https://patreon.com/ElectricEvolutionPodcast
You can support us here too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/electricevolutionpodcast
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We love hearing from you! After listening to an episode, if you’d like to share a comment or ask a question, just click here to send us your message.

Episode 138: Liz Allan and Denis Watling – Powering Apartments with ChargeGuru’s EV Charging Solution.

Liz Allan speaks to Denis Watling, Managing Director of ChargeGuru UK & Ireland, to uncover how ChargeGuru is revolutionising EV charging for apartment living. Together, they explore the fully funded solution, making home charging accessible for residents in apartment blocks; a critical move in the mission towards net zero and sustainable transport. Denis shares how his automotive journey, from Hyundai’s early hydrogen vehicle programme to Pod Point, shaped his passion for alternative fuels and led him to spearhead ChargeGuru’s expansion across Europe. Liz and Denis explore the realities of EV adoption in urban environments, the challenges freeholders and residents face, and why retrofitting apartment blocks is more complex than it appears.

Denis Watling Bio:
Denis Watling is the managing director of ChargeGuru UK & Ireland. With over a decade of automotive experience, Denis has held roles spanning fleet operations, public sector partnerships, and used vehicle management at Hyundai, where he first developed a passion for alternative fuels. He then sharpened his focus on the UK EV market with Pod Point, before launching ChargeGuru in the UK and Ireland. Denis brings a rare blend of hands-on industry knowledge and strategic leadership and is helping ChargeGuru remove barriers to electrification, making apartment charging simple, scalable, and affordable.

Quote of the Episode:
"We genuinely want to enable a more sustainable energy network, and that takes serious investment to do at scale." Denis Watling, ChargeGuru.

Denis Watling Links:
ChargeGuru Website: https://chargeguru.com/uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denis-watling-815b663b

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode of Electric Evolution, please take a moment to leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us improve and enables more people to discover valuable insights from our amazing guests.

Click the link below to find out how to add a review on Apple or Spotify
https://bit.ly/4dtiMJK

The Electric Evolution Podcast is proudly produced by Podforge, helping purpose-driven voices be heard.

Links for Full Circle CI:
Download our EV Charging White Paper: https://fullcircleci.co.uk/plugging-into-the-future-whitepaper
Visit our website: https://fullcircleci.co.uk/podcasts
Support our podcast here: https://patreon.com/ElectricEvolutionPodcast
You can support us here too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/electricevolutionpodcast
Find Us on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/electric-evolution-podcast