On a recent visit to friend's birthday party in Braintree, Essex. I had the pleasure to visit GRIDSERVE Braintree.
I had watched a sizable number of YouTube videos from Fully Charged, R Symons
and Electrifying singing the praises of the electric charging forecourt which I was
anxious to check out for myself.
What a wonderful surprise awaited me. Having selected my route at the start of the
journey using my Tesla navigation tool I approached the dual carriageway; flow of
traffic was easy to follow. The Tesla bank of charges are set apart from the other EV
charges, standing out from the rest in their red and white casing making them very
easy to spot from a distance.
One thing that immediately took my eye was the spotless and very well laid out forecourt. A word of caution- these beautiful electric cars are so quiet at low speed so always check the road before crossing.
I did the usual, plugged in the Tesla and proceeded into the airy building to find plenty of shining copper and glass. Even better I found a Costa Coffee, Marks & Spencer Food Hall, WH Smiths and a Royal Mail Post Office. Yes, a Post Office, at a service station unexpected but could be useful if here for a while and a chance to catch up on any errands.
Having plugged in I could now explore the interior further. There was a choice of lift or stairs to the first floor which housed the bathroom facilities easily accessed for all. The small bathrooms contain high end quality fittings are comfortable and cleaned regularly.
The building also provides the facility of hiring `office Pods` by the hour.
The pods are well equipped, encompassing all essentials needed for a meeting with easy access to good food and drink.
There are nooks and hide aways to sit in peace and pass the brief time it takes to drink a coffee and charge your vehicle.
I was able to make use of the refreshment shops and take some time to sit and engaged in a conversation with one of the friendly staff. I was surprised to learn that Grid Serve lease electric cars at Braintree Grid Serve. I do not believe this is the norm for other car service centres – note to self.
After a satisfying coffee and sandwich stop, I returned to the Tesla to find just ten minutes to go until charging complete. Making good use of time this is all I need to wash, polish and protect the Tesla. I pulled out the DrySparkle and went to work, while the car was still charging. Ten minutes later the car was washed, polished and charged ready to continue my journey whilst looking good! No mess, no water
wasted and quick and easy.
Well done to Toddington Harper amazing job, a service station that feels like a fivestar hotel. Look forward to visiting Norwich next along with others planned.
The future looks stunning.
