ChargePoint has continued its charge into the UK’s electric vehicle charging sector by securing a comprehensive partnership agreement with utility services provider Fulcrum.
Fulcrum described the partnership as the “natural next step” for its UK ambitions, adding that the deal will expand its service capabilities.
It is the latest in a string of partners ChargePoint has lined up as it looks to strengthen its position in new markets. It partnered Instavolt in May last year before turning to facilities solution provider ABM in December 2017, and then took a great swing at the home charger market by picking up channel partners and car manufacturers already supporting market leader Chargemaster.
Fulcrum will use its EV expertise to provide and “end-to-end” service for commercial and residential development customers.
Fulcrum will benefit by actively marketing its holistic EV infrastructure service, supplying and installing EV chargers. These will be powered using electrical infrastructure that Fulcrum will design, install and operate, effectively removing one of the more significant barriers to EV infrastructure deployment.
Fulcrum will also become one of ChargePoint’s recommended infrastructure providers to support the firm’s UK operations as it continues to expand in the market.
The duo are backing the partnership to both reduce the challenge of dealing with multiple parties while deploying EV charging stations while simultaneously speeding up the process via the combination of ChargePoint’s EV expertise and Fulcrum’s ability to own and operate electrical infrastructure.
A central motivator behind the deal is the UK government’s pledge to create a £400 million fund to support the EV charging network, as outlined in the 2017 Budget.
Clean Energy News revealed last month that the government has pressed forward with these plans and was on the hunt for a private fund manager to help raise £200 million of private investment to support an equal pledge from HMG.
Christopher Burghardt, managing director for Europe at ChargePoint, said the partnership with Fulcrum stood to “accelerate the adoption of EVs” both in the UK and beyond.
“The United Kingdom is quickly becoming a mobility leader in Europe as the government moves to implement policies to support the adoption of EV’s, businesses act to deploy charging, and customer demand reaches new heights.
“Fulcrum’s position as a leading independent utilities infrastructure and services businesses coupled with ChargePoint’s technology leadership and deep expertise in the category, will help usher in a new era of electrified mobility in the UK.”
Martin Harrison, chief executive at Fulcrum, meanwhile said that the country was at the beginning of what stands be a “rapid expansion in the uptake of electric vehicles”.
“The installation and management of EV charging points is a natural development for Fulcrum, building on our utilities infrastructure expertise to enter this exciting new market that has the potential to change the face of transport. Thanks to our partnership with ChargePoint, Fulcrum will be at the forefront of this growing technology.”
