InstaVolt CCO interview: the two-pronged approach of the UK’s leading ultra-rapid charging provider

InstaVolt, the UK’s largest ultra-rapid charging company, is helping to drive the energy transition to EVs and it’s a two-pronged approach: partnering with leading food and beverage and convenience brands to install chargers on their existing sites and building new superhubs – the service stations of the future.

In both scenarios, InstaVolt is aiming to become the go-to provider for on-the-go public charging and is well on the journey, according to Chief Commercial Officer Simon Smith.

“We are the largest ultra-rapid charging company in the UK, bigger than Tesla in terms of charging stations, and bp and Shell,” Smith says.

InstaVolt has over 2,700 chargers live or due to go live in the UK, spanning some 800 sites, as well as operating in Spain, Portugal, Iceland and the Republic of Ireland. It is targeting 11,000 chargers in the UK and Ireland, and 5,000 across Europe by 2030.

Not bad going for a business that was only born in 2017 and was one of the first rapid charging providers, offering charging speeds of 50-150kW.

While some of InstaVolt’s early estate still provides 50kW charging, the focus today is firmly on ultra-rapid with speeds of 160kW and above.

EV drivers choose InstaVolt for their on-the go charging needs, versus slow, destination charging. Typically, users have a dwell time of between 20 to 40 minutes when charging their cars at InstaVolt sites Smith says.

Energy expertise

As CCO, Smith dons a couple of hats. Firstly, he’s in charge of the teams who are looking for new opportunities to install chargers on existing sites, liaising with landlords, convenience retail and food and beverage operators, and managing those commercial revenue streams.

Secondly, he heads up marketing to drive customers to InstaVolt sites and its chargers.

“Our customers are at the heart of our business, so delivering a great experience is our priority. That’s why we’re investing in our infrastructure and collaborating with key partners to build high-quality sites that enhance the customer journey,” says Smith. “We also actively promote these sites, working closely with our partners to drive more customers their way.”

Coming from a background in energy with strong retailer connections, Smith fulfils both roles with consummate ease.

He has a 28-year career in the energy industry, working at numerous levels in technology, supply and efficiency, including solar; and has been constantly involved in the retail space with both supermarkets and convenience customers in the UK and internationally.

Prior to InstaVolt, Smith was the group sales and marketing director at energy supply firm YU Energy, also responsible for EV installations into businesses for on-site charging; and managing director at eEnergy, looking after solar and EV installations and management of the firm’s energy portfolio. The move to EV and InstaVolt, distributing energy to chargers and putting it in people’s cars and then marketing that energy to the customer, has been a very natural progression, Smith says.

Retail strategy

InstaVolt’s retail strategy comprises two core elements – working with partners and installing chargers on their own existing sites and creating new superhubs.

The company has an exclusive relationship with McDonald’s in the UK and Republic of Ireland, installing chargers at its locations and with the Co-op on the convenience retail side, where customers typically have a shorter dwell time in-store versus larger retail complexes or hotels, for instance.

You’ll always find InstaVolt chargers located nearby mainstream food and beverage brands including Starbucks, Burger King and Costa Coffee, for example.

The business’s second stream is providing rapid chargers near major arterial roads and creating new superhubs.

Banbury (entered in the Best EV Hub in the World 2025 contest), which is not a new hub but has been expanded three times, is InstaVolt’s first superhub, now offering 32 chargers and rapid 160kW+ charging.

According to Smith, it’s one of the company’s busiest sites, attracting 6,000 customers a month. As well as serious charging capability, the site features a Costa Coffee, Hotel Chocolat, Miller & Carter steakhouse and a Premier Inn. “It ticks every box and has met with success after success. The site enables you to pull over, charge and offers a choice of facilities. It’s a great example of what a superhub should be,” Smith says.

While Banbury is up and running, InstaVolt is opening a new superhub in Winchester at the end of March. Built on a 4.5 acre site just off the A34, it will be the “creme de la creme”, bringing together 44 ultra-rapid chargers, all powered by 100% green energy, and an on-site Starbucks café, Smith says.

The scale of the site has enabled InstaVolt to provide fully accessible bays; long bays for caravans and vans; plus solar and battery storage on-site, providing renewable energy to the chargers.

“As well as being self-generating, this will allow us to look at price promotions on site moving forward,” Smith explains.

In addition to the Starbucks café, there is a children’s play park and a dog walking facility.

Smith suggests the Winchester superhub will be a new ‘gateway to the south’ and a great spot for people to stop on their way to the south coast.

The key in both charging scenarios is providing amenities on-site, be that food and beverage or convenience, Smith says. “The relationship is symbiotic. Seventy per cent of customers who use InstaVolt chargers will use the amenities,” he reports.

Both formats are as important as each other but for different reasons, he adds. “The best way to think about where to put chargers is considering where do people go in their daily lives,” he says. This could mean providing two charger sites at a local shop, for instance, or more chargers at locations off major A roads and motorways, where people are on longer journeys and want to stretch their legs etc.

For landlords, who own car parking space near convenient locations with good traffic flow, there are significant commercial benefits, Smith adds.

These include an annual rental or profit share, no upfront costs – since InstaVolt pays for the installation – and increased footfall as 70% will use the amenities – plus a boost to their CSR agenda. “They can show the public they are supporting the transition towards net zero. If you are a landlord, you are offering a fantastic service and helping to promote the growth of the EV economy going forward. It’s a win win,” he says.

Great CX

Providing a great customer experience during charging is key and InstaVolt has this aspect nailed from quick and easy access to car parks, on-site amenities and toilet facilities; as well as vending in some locations. “We are trying to make everyone as comfortable as possible – it’s all about the customer,” Smith says.

“We are known for having the most reliable chargers, safe and in well-lit locations,” he continues. “We want to make it comfortable – it will drive mass EV adoption if the experience is second to none,” he maintains.

Reliability means providing an uptime in the high 99% range Smith says. Since it’s in the business of charging, it takes this seriously. Charging performance is monitored in-house and there are on-road engineers plus a 24-hour helpline to support customers.

The company was the first CPO to offer contactless payment and has its own app with a Volts rewards programme providing money off charging but also partner offers and promotions. InstaVolt is already integrated with some of the largest roaming networks, such as Octopus Electroverse. Smith suggests cross-promotions like these are poised to flourish in future and will be the next step in offering a really great customer experience.

The brand also offers advertising opportunities on its digital charger screens.

“Outdoor advertising has been around for years and I understand that space very well but this is a new medium to advertisers,” Smith says. “We are the only CPO doing it properly – the way the screens are situated on our chargers. For advertisers, it’s also about the message that they are portraying i.e. that they are investing in a network that helps the drive towards net zero and that money is invested back in the business so there’s a lot of circularity and good CSR.”

Looking ahead, InstaVolt has its finger on the charging pulse with new tech such as plug and charge. “Rather than tap, you plug straight in, and the charger and car talk to each other. There’s still a way to go and we are readying ourselves for that market – it’s changing all the time,” Smith says.

InstaVolt is also exploring whether introducing canopies to protect customers in rainy weather would be viable. While the reality of charging an EV is different to filling a petrol car, as more EVs come on the road, the company is thinking about ways to support the customer and how it could make canopies work, Smith says.

Fleet customers are another key market for the brand, which it supports through major roaming partners, and is the largest CPO on the Allstar UK Chargepass network.

“Fleets care about great locations – they need locations right off arterial roads. They want it to be easy to pay and reliable, since time is lost money,” Smith says.

InstaVolt also supports nighttime workers with an off-peak charging rate for customers using its app. “We are looking at ways to help drivers charging later at night or early in the morning and pass our energy cost savings at night onto customers. Fleet is super important, and we are always listening to what the customers say,” Smith reports.

Future outlook

InstaVolt’s future is highly charged. Well-funded, and with a fully sustainable business model which allows us to reinvest back into our business, Smith says.

“We are continuing to build the network at pace and have more to do between now and 2030 than in the last seven years,” he smiles. As part of that roll out, InstaVolt is looking for more partners in convenience retail and food and beverage for mutual gains.

At the same time, it will continue to create superhubs. It has already secured additional sites, with more locations set to be developed across the country over the next few years, Smith reports.

The business is also keen to deploy more renewable solutions i.e. solar and battery moving forward, he says.

In addition, InstaVolt is working with government on ways to help roll out the infrastructure so that people can buy EVs and push the EV transition.

“Adoption is growing more than ever before,” Smith says. InstaVolt aims to participate by doing more work with brands, growing footfall and ensuring a fantastic experience; while also strengthening sales in its key European markets.

Smith envisages a bright future. “We are financially strong, and we have some of the best locations, partnerships and utilisation in the industry. There will be some consolidation and some players that fall by the wayside. We are in a strong position for organic growth and to consider M&A in future,” he says.