UK-based electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure company Connected Kerb has secured up to £110 million from Aviva Investors to back plans to deliver 190,000 on-street EV chargers by 2030.
The target has been put in place in order to support the rise in adoption of EVs and accommodate the need for greater accessibility to charging infrastructure.
The partnership will also come to fruition before the end of this year with ambitions to install 4,000 on-street chargers by the end of 2022.
This will be of particular importance with the number of EV drivers increasing year on year, not only in the UK but around the globe. This is showcased within an International Energy Agency (IEA) report which found EV sales doubled in 2021.
“Our partnership with Aviva Investors will turn EV charging on its head. Successfully delivering the benefits of the EV transition to all – regardless of location, wealth, or circumstance – relies entirely on the UK’s ability to deploy convenient and reliable public charging at scale. For many, it has so far been neither,” said Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb.
“This investment combines the proven long-term reliability of Connected Kerb’s infrastructure with the financial resources and expertise of Aviva Investors to deploy charging, at scale, to all corners of the UK, giving individuals and businesses the confidence to make the switch to electric, and dramatically reduce carbon emissions and air pollution – it’s truly game-changing.”
Connected Kerb will deliver EV charging infrastructure across Aviva’s pan-European real estate portfolio. The companies have stated that the investment aims to rebalance the growing gap between EV ownership and public charging infrastructure – a crucial area that needs addressing with EV sales soaring.
Connected Kerb could use its new technology named Chameleon. The chargepoint is a bollard-style charging point and is one of the lowest impact and smallest dual charger solutions for public on-street charging in the market, the company said.
The partnership will also boost Aviva’s ESG values across its major assets providing a means to increase asset value and decarbonise its portfolio.
“We are pleased to support Connected Kerb’s ambitious rollout of EV charging infrastructure across the UK, a sector at the heart of the transition towards a low carbon future,” said Sean McLachlan, senior director of infrastructure at Aviva Investors.
“The funding we are providing will help to speed up the provision of EV charging to homes and businesses alike, whilst increasing accessibility. We also look forward to working with a management team which has market-leading experience in building and operating public infrastructure and integrated smart networks, alongside excellent ESG credentials.”
The investment from Aviva adds to a positive couple of months for Connected Kerb having also been selected for a new project designed to boost public access to EV charging in New York City.
The project is part of the DOT Studio, a collaboration between the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and Newlab, which is designed to use emerging technologies to advance planning, policy, operations and real-time management of transportation across New York City, in line with decarbonisation targets.
Current±’s publisher Solar Media is running the EV World Congress on 5 and 6 October at the Leonardo Royal Hotel Tower Bridge. To find out more and get your ticket, see here.
