Lidl Birstall store opens 12-bay 320kW EV hub sized for vans

Lidl GB has opened a 12-bay ultra-rapid EV charging hub at its new Birstall supermarket in West Yorkshire, with ten of the bays sized specifically for light goods vehicles.

The hub, delivered by Source — the joint venture between SSE and TotalEnergies — sits two minutes from junction 27 of the M62. Chargers run at up to 320kW, and the site includes an accessible bay alongside the LGU-capable bays.

For van operators, the sizing matters. Bays built for cars often cannot accommodate larger vehicles, which forces LGV drivers to queue for standard bays or skip charging altogether. Ten dedicated LGU bays at a single motorway-adjacent site is a meaningful addition in a region where van-suitable charging is thin on the ground.

How far behind is Yorkshire on chargers?

The numbers explain why Lidl and Source picked Birstall. Yorkshire and the Humber has 110.7 public chargers per 100,000 people, against a UK average of 174.9, according to the latest Department for Transport figures.

The corridor is busy. The M62 between junctions 27 and 28 carries almost 118,000 vehicles a day, including more than 21,600 vans — a heavy daily flow of exactly the traffic a rapid-charging hub with van-sized bays is built to serve.

Why van uptake is stalling

The van market is the pressure point. Battery electric vans accounted for just 10.8% of new UK van registrations in the first nine months of 2026, against a Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate target of 24%.

The SMMT has pointed to a shortage of van-suitable charging as one of the barriers to closing that gap. Retail-adjacent hubs like Birstall, where drivers charge while working a route or shopping, target that shortfall directly rather than relying on dedicated forecourts alone.

What the operators said

Liam Schofield, regional head of property at Lidl GB, said: "We're delighted to open our brand-new store in Birstall, meeting the local need for affordable groceries and more sustainable charging options."

He added: "As part of our wider commitment to expanding the accessibility of EV charging across the country, we're proud to partner with Source to deliver this flagship EV charging hub. Our newest store is a fantastic location for drivers wanting to charge quickly while picking up their weekly shop."

Deepa Chandrasekaran, managing director at Source, said: "Whether they drive a car or a van, most people want charging to fit around what they're already doing."

She continued: "Here, drivers can plug in while they shop or stop off the M62 for a Lidl sweet treat, and leave with a fast, reliable charge. Public charging in this part of Yorkshire still lags behind the UK average, and we're pleased to be working with Lidl to help close that gap in Birstall, as we grow our network in towns and cities like it across the country."

What it means for fleets

The commercial logic is straightforward. Van fleets running urban and regional delivery routes need rapid top-ups embedded in the working day, not detours to distant hubs. A 320kW site on the M62 with ten LGV bays lets last-mile operators charge during scheduled stops.

For Lidl, the store gains a footfall draw from charging dwell time. For Source, supermarket car parks offer scalable sites in towns where standalone rapid charging would struggle on its own economics.

The stakes will only sharpen. With electric van registrations at 10.8% against a 24% mandate target, and regions like Yorkshire well below the national charger density, expect more retail-anchored, van-capable hubs along motorway corridors as the compliance deadline pressure builds.