Around 4,000 hotels and bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) across the UK will be offered charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) at no extra cost under a partnership between the AA and Chargemaster.

The EV charging infrastructure company, which was bought by BP in June this year, will install the chargers at any AA-inspected hotels.

Sandford Springs Hotel in Kingclere, Hamspshire, is the first to benefit from the offer – it now has a 50kW rapid charger for use for EV drivers.

Research by Chargemaster found 90% of EV drivers will seek out destinations that have charging points over those that don’t.

Chief Executive David Martell said: “We believe that within the next five years, all hotels will offer EV charging, just like they provide Wi-Fi today. Our offer for AA hotels is a great opportunity for hotel owners and operators to get a competitive advantage with a facility that could attract hundreds of thousands of customers in the coming years.”