Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen plugs into new mission

Designer turning attention to the nation’s motorways as ‘chief visibility officer’ for GRIDSERVE

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, famed for transforming drab homes into dazzling spaces, is turning his attention to the nation’s motorways in a new partnership with EV charging network GRIDSERVE as its new ‘chief visibility officer’.

The new role follows research that found drivers are underestimating the size of the UK’s electric charging network by half, largely because outdated motorway signage rules cause many chargers to go unseen.

Current regulations mean that on some roads there is no signage allowed at all for EV chargers, and on others EV charging stations have to jump through complicated hoops in order to be allowed signage, leaving electric vehicle drivers in the dark about where to top up.

As a result, thousands of charging locations remain hidden in plain sight, despite being dotted along key routes, retail parks and service areas across the country. 

GRIDSERVE’s Electric Forecourts feature 24/7 charging bays, coffee shops, convenience stores and free Wi-Fi for drivers, but are hard to find due to outdated signage rules.

To help shine a light on the issue, Llewelyn-Bowen has teamed up with GRIDSERVE to make chargepoints as eye-catching as possible. Dressed in a fluorescent suit of highlighter yellow, the designer hit the road in a digital, electric ad-van emblazoned with one of his bold new designs to showcase nearby charging locations.

Llewelyn-Bowen visited GRIDSERVE’s charging location in Stevenage on the A1(M) to chat to motorists about how to make EV chargers stand out more. Flamingos were a popular suggestion to bring some colour to the signage.

Located on the A1(M), the Stevenage Electric Forecourt boasts 24 x 360kW-capable charging bays that can add 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes and are available 24 hours. The facility also features Costa Coffee, a Little Fresh convenience store, toilets and free Wi-Fi.

Llewelyn-Bowen said: “The rules around signage for EV chargers are outdated – it should be as natural and visible as a petrol pump. Together with GRIDSERVE, I want to spark a little joy into the process of powering up, and make the UK’s charging network a design icon in its own right with bright and beautiful signage.

“These are the new pit stops of modern Britain – why wouldn’t we want to celebrate infrastructure like this? Your charging experience can be just as vibrant as your journey, especially when you’re filling up with clean, sustainable energy.”

Industry data shows there were almost 87,000 public charging points across the UK at the end of October 2025. However, just 3% of Brits correctly identified that there are between 80,000-89,0000 public chargers on UK roads, with many unsure or underestimating the number.

Daniel Kunkel, chief executuve at GRIDSERVE, said: “We know that lots of petrol and diesel drivers have concerns about switching to electric and finding charge points on their journeys. However, the UK has one of the fastest-growing charging networks in Europe and at GRIDSERVE, we’re proud to be contributing to that with a rollout that focuses on the most powerful chargers at the most convenient ‘on the go’ locations.

“Supporting the charger network with updated signage rules is crucial for accelerating EV adoption and showing drivers that in an EV you have the freedom to make any journey you want to.”