Ikea has announced it will be working with car manufacturer Nissan and green energy provider Ecotricity to install electric vehicle rapid charging points across all of its UK store car parks by the end of the 2013.

All 18 of Ikea’s stores in the UK will have rapid-chargers installed by the end of December 2013. The charging points will be free for all customers and there will be no charge for the 100% sustainably sourced green electricity from Ecotricity.

The decision came after research conducted by the retailer revealed that one in six Britons would be more encouraged to switch to an electric car if there were more charging points available in the UK.

Joanna Yarrow, head of sustainability at Ikea UK and Ireland said: “At Ikea we believe electric vehicles have a significant part to play in a more sustainable future. We know that our customers want to live more sustainably and that extends to how they get to and from our stores.

“By installing more charging points and strengthening the infrastructure nationally, we believe we can start to tackle one of the major barriers to using electric cars which is the fear of not finding a convenient place to charge the car.”