Electric vehicle (EV) charging company char.gy is aiming to develop a 100,000 strong network of chargers by 2030, as it changes CEO.
Char.gy, which currently has over 2,600 public EV chargepoints in operation, has laid out its ambitious target as it also confirmed the appointment of its new CEO, John Lewis, taking over from founder Richard Stobart. This comes as EV charging points increased by 8% nationwide in the first quarter of 2023.
In his new role, Lewis will drive char.gy’s next phase of development whereas Stobart, who will continue on at the company, will focus his attention on the company’s new products and services.
“I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished so far, from ramping up our installation pace to extending on-street charging to more individuals who lack driveways, to introducing our ‘Night Saver’ tariff that equates the cost of on-street charging with domestic rates overnight,” said Stobart.
“As we gear up for the next stage of our expansion, I am delighted to welcome John as our new CEO to lead our business towards its ambitious goals.”
To reach its 100,000 EV chargers by 2030 target, the company will continue to deploy its existing technology which includes lamppost and bollard chargers on-street and within car parks, community housing and at public venues such as hotels.
This is more commonly known in the industry as ‘destination chargers’ which provide drivers with convenient areas to charger their EVs at locations such as hotels, shops, restaurants and more.
The target also coincides with its commitment as one of the founding members of the new trade body association ChargeUK. Launched on 28 April, the organisation aims to facilitate the investment of £6 billion by 2030 in EV charging and double the size of the UK EV charging network in 2023.
Doing so could support the growing number of EV chargers on UK roads which rose by 60% year-on-year in April, according to New AutoMotive. This is a promising statistic for the decarbonisation of the UK’s road transportation sector and could contribute heavily to the nation’s net zero prospects.
Char.gy also disclosed that it is in the process of developing “new charging products to help offer a wider range of charging solutions.”
However, this surge in adoption for EVs also present an obstacle for the energy sector. Writing for Current±, Ken McMeikan, CEO at Moto Hospitality, said: “By the time that the fossil fuel internal combustion engine (ICE) ban comes into place in 2030, we expect there will be more than 14 million EVs on UK roads – a number that represents nothing short of a revolution in personal mobility.
“Recent projections from Moto show how this EV future will look as an increasing proportion of vehicles on UK roads over the next two decades, with one in 25 cars on the road in 2023 being EVs, one in 10 by 2025, one in three by 2030 and four in five by 2040.”