Since the invention of the ‘drivethru’, fast food and cars have been inextricably linked. However, it appears that Sweden’s numerous McDonald’s fast food outlets are about to deepen that relationship.  The McCompany has announced that charging stations for electric cars will be set up in several of its restaurant car parks across the country.

That’s right, while you fuel up on post-mix cola and heaping mounds of saturated fat delicious, delicious burgers, your tree-hugging automobile can munch on a few electrons too.

Elforsk, a division of Swedish energy supplier Svensk Energi and the Swedish national grid, will oversee the running of the charging station network while McDonald’s will purchase the charging stations themselves.

Each station will carry a single and three-phase electrical outlet and supply 230 volts, 16 amps. Charging time for the average plug-in electric vehicle is estimated at between 30-45 minutes - more than enough time to scoff a few half-pounders.

The first charging station will be installed at a Stockholm McDonald’s ‘restaurant’ within the next few months, with more on the way. Costs for charging a vehicle at the stations have yet to be announced.

[Reg Hardware]