FROM THE
INDUSTRY
Powering Arnold Clark’s EV future
By Naomi Nye, Head of Sales, Drax Electric Vehicles
Arnold Clark is one of the UK’s largest car dealers, with more than 180 branches nationwide and a clear ambition to support the rapid growth of electric vehicles. As demand’s increased, the business has focused on building charging infrastructure that’s reliable today and ready for the future.
To achieve this, Arnold Clark partnered with Drax Electric Vehicles to design and deliver a nationwide network that can grow alongside its estate and customer needs.
“We chose Drax over other suppliers, because of their proven track record. They’ve been doing this for a long time now, so that gives you trust and confidence that we're going to get a good service”
Jamie Green, technical lead, Arnold Clark
Left to right: Terry Mohammed, general manager, Drax Electric Vehicles, Kayleigh Woods, project manager, Drax Electric Vehicles and Jamie Green, technical lead, Arnold Clark
Building a network that grows with demand
Arnold Clark’s goal was to create a consistent charging network across a number of locations while supporting long term growth. This required a partner with the experience to deliver AC and DC charging installations at scale, alongside providing guidance on electrical capacity, investment decisions and future demand.
Drax delivers a fully managed solution covering site surveys, design, installation and ongoing optimisation, bringing everything together under one contract and a single point of contact. This reduces complexity and gives Arnold Clark clear oversight of its rollout.
From strong foundations to national rollout
The partnership began with a framework agreement through BMM Energy Solutions in 2021, with installations already underway nationwide. Following Drax’s acquisition of BMM in 2023, delivery accelerated supporting Arnold Clark’s ambition to build 100 high powered charging hubs across the UK.
Each site’s assessed in detail before installation, with Drax reviewing electrical capacity, layout and future demand. This ensures installations meet current needs while preparing sites for further charging as usage grows, creating a network that’s consistent and ready to scale.
Delivering in real world environments
Rolling out infrastructure across a national estate brings practical challenges, particularly when work takes place in live operational environments. Site constraints, grid connections and logistics all require careful planning and coordination to avoid disruption to day-to-day activity.
At Arnold Clark’s Leyland Motorstore, installation involved a long connection route between the grid supply and the charging location, requiring traffic management and careful planning so the site could continue operating as normal.
Close collaboration between Arnold Clark and Drax helps resolve challenges quickly and keeps delivery on track.
“A lot of it is just getting the basics right, so it's picking up the phone and solving problems together. That's been really strong and positive from Drax”, says Jamie.
Supporting customers and future growth
So far, 62 ultra-rapid DC charging hubs have been delivered, with plans to reach 100 hubs nationwide. The network’s already helping Arnold Clark support its transition to electric mobility by providing reliable and convenient charging for customers and staff.
Drivers can access chargers using contactless, mobile app or RFID payment and can book charging slots through the Arnold Clark app.
A partnership built to deliver
This work represents a long-term partnership focused on building capability for the future. Drax brings together the expertise, systems and supply chain needed to deliver safely and consistently at national scale while working closely with Arnold Clark to manage the complexity of each site.
This approach gives Arnold Clark the confidence to invest in its EV strategy and continue expanding its network.
Looking ahead
With a clear roadmap and infrastructure continuing to grow, Arnold Clark is well positioned to meet increasing demand for electric vehicles. This sets a strong standard for dealership based charging across the UK, supported by a partner with the scale and experience to deliver at pace.
