InstaVolt has agreed a national framework with Whitbread PLC, the owner of Premier Inn, to install ultra-rapid EV chargers at selected Premier Inn hotels and to upgrade the chargers already on the hotel estate. The deal was reported by Transport + Energy on 5 November 2026 and covered by other trade outlets through 9 November. Neither company has said how many chargers it covers.

The size of the opportunity is clear even without that number. According to Zapmap, Premier Inn runs more than 845 hotels across the UK and Ireland. Transport + Energy reported on 5 November that InstaVolt operates about 1,200 charging locations across the UK and Ireland. The framework does not put chargers at every hotel. It sets up a pipeline of sites that InstaVolt and Whitbread will choose one by one.

The numbers, and what they don't say

  • 845+ Premier Inn hotels in the UK and Ireland (Zapmap).
  • ~1,200 InstaVolt locations in the UK and Ireland (Transport + Energy, 5 Nov 2026).
  • 228 GeniePoint locations InstaVolt bought from Equans earlier in 2026, 100+ of them linked to the Whitbread estate (Zapmap).
  • 50–160 kW: the range of charging speeds on InstaVolt's network (EV Powered, 9 Nov 2026).
  • Undisclosed: how many new chargers, how many upgraded sites, the investment involved and a completion date.

The last point matters most. "National framework" describes the commercial structure. It does not commit to a set build-out. EV Powered reported that new locations are at the design, planning and construction stages. That means none of the new-build hotel sites had been reported as open when the deal was announced.

Two tracks: upgrades now, new sites later

Based on the coverage, the deal has two parts that run on different timelines.

Upgrading existing Premier Inn chargers. Zapmap says these sites will get ultra-rapid hardware, better grid connections where required and improved signage, and its summary says work is starting immediately; its text also says the first upgrades are already under way. EV Powered reported that the first upgrades were expected to begin immediately. Transport + Energy and Zapmap both described the upgrades as happening "over the coming months." No source gives a site-by-site schedule.

New ultra-rapid sites. Zapmap describes new chargers going in at "well-located" Premier Inn hotels, which builds up a pipeline of future sites. Zapmap says further new sites are progressing through design, planning and construction. None has been reported as open.

Why InstaVolt already had a foot in the door

The framework continues a deal InstaVolt made earlier this year. According to Zapmap, InstaVolt bought 228 GeniePoint locations from Equans, and more than 100 of them are associated with the Whitbread estate. Transport + Energy quotes InstaVolt chief executive Delvin Lane as saying the acquisition gave the company "an important footprint across the Whitbread estate." The framework adds new ultra-rapid sites and an investment in the existing ones.

GeniePoint was also the network behind an earlier Whitbread charging programme, though the sources do not say whether the 2021 programme's chargers are the same ones InstaVolt acquired. In January 2021, Whitbread announced a deal with ENGIE to roll out up to 1,000 GeniePoint rapid charging points. It started with 600 committed over three years, and the chargers were open to both guests and the public. The sources here do not say how many of those 600 or 1,000 points were actually installed. That figure should not be taken from the 2021 targets.

Taken together, the timeline runs like this. In 2021 Whitbread announced a plan to add rapid charging at its sites through ENGIE's GeniePoint network. Earlier in 2026 InstaVolt acquired 228 GeniePoint locations from Equans, more than 100 of them associated with the Whitbread estate. Now InstaVolt and Whitbread have agreed a framework to upgrade existing Premier Inn charging and add new sites.

What It Means for Drivers

Who can charge: Everyone. Zapmap and Transport + Energy both report that the chargers are open to non-guests, so you don't need a room booking to plug in. The same was true of the 2021 GeniePoint rollout, which Whitbread described as open to guests and the public.

Where: At selected Premier Inn hotels in the UK, not at every hotel. Transport + Energy described the framework as covering Whitbread's UK estate. The 845+ figure Zapmap cites includes Ireland, but the coverage does not say whether Irish hotels are part of the charging plan.

What changes, and when: At hotels that already have chargers, expect upgrade work, possibly including new grid connections and signage, with the first upgrades reported as under way or starting immediately and the work running over the coming months, according to the outlets. At hotels with no chargers yet, new ultra-rapid sites are still being designed, planned or built, and no opening dates have been given.

Speed: InstaVolt's network runs from 50 kW to 160 kW, according to EV Powered. The coverage does not say which power levels will go in at which Premier Inn sites. Your actual charging speed will also depend on your car and its battery's state of charge.

Price: ChargerFeed has not confirmed a tariff for these sites. The per-kWh figures in one trade report looked garbled, so we have not repeated them. Before you plug in, check the current price on the charger screen or in InstaVolt's app.

For overnight guests: The sources describe drivers using the chargers while they visit the hotel's hospitality facilities, and they don't mention any parking-time limits or overstay fees at hotel sites, so check the signage at each location.

Who said what

EV Powered's 9 November report includes comments from InstaVolt chief executive Delvin Lane and Premier Inn trading director Lewis Cunningham. Neither company's own announcement could be reached directly for this story. The details here come from the trade outlets listed below and from Whitbread's 2021 announcement.

What to watch

  • A site list. The deal can't be properly assessed until InstaVolt or Whitbread names the hotels involved and says which are upgrades and which are new builds.
  • Grid connections. Zapmap says some sites need better grid connections. Because the work is described as happening "where required," timing may differ from site to site.
  • Charger counts with dates. No figures have been published. Until they are, any headline about how many chargers are coming to Premier Inn is a guess.

Sources