In this week’s EV roundup, chargepoint supplier Pod Point has partnered with housing developer Redrow to supply charging equipment to newbuild housing, SP Energy Networks has announced grid upgrades to enable the rollout of charging infrastructure in north-west England, and bp has invested £4 million in UK software company Dynamon.
Pod Point partners with housing developer Redrow to supply chargepoints
Electric vehicle (EV) charging company Pod Point has signed a two-year deal with residential housing developer Redrow to create charging infrastructure for new-build properties.
The partnership will help Redrow achieve its climate change goals by reducing carbon emissions, with Pod Point supplying chargepoints for new residential developments across England and Wales. The developer says it builds over 5,700 new homes each year, and that Pod Point is now its preferred provider of EV charging infrastructure.
Pod Point will also provide chargepoints to Redrow’s offices and sales centres to support the company’s aim of having an all-electric car fleet by the end of 2025. Redrow’s employees will also have access to preferential rates for Pod Point home chargepoints.
The two companies already had a commercial partnership from 2018 with Pod Point supporting Redrow’s compliance with Local Authority planning conditions and supplying over 2,000 chargepoints to Redrow already.
New regulations introduced in 2022 stipulate that all new residential developments in England must have at least one 7kW chargepoint for each residence with a parking space.
Stephen Horridge, head of procurement at Redrow, said: “We are excited to partner with Pod Point to further enhance the sustainability of our developments. Pod Point’s industry-leading products, expertise, and supply chain security make them the ideal partner to meet the rapidly growing demand we’re seeing from customers for EV charging.”
Andy Palmer, chief executive of Pod Point, said: “We’re delighted to strengthen our partnership with Redrow as their preferred EV charging provider. Redrow’s commitment to enabling more sustainable transport choices aligns with our mission to put a chargepoint everywhere you park, enabling mass adoption of electric cars and working towards a future where EV charging is accessible and convenient for all.”
SP Energy Networks upgrades electricity network to support EV drivers in north-west England
SP Energy Networks (SPEN) has announced the completion of work to upgrade the electricity network in the north-west of England to support low carbon technologies like EVs.
SPEN said the work was part of a wider £60 million investment programme to create additional electrical capacity and enable the rollout of around 350 rapid electric vehicle charging points at Burtonwood, Hapsford, Knutsford, Lymm and Sandbach service stations.
The new EV infrastructure is intended to give EV drivers more confidence in the accessibility of chargepoints, and increase capacity for the expected rise in EV ownership over the coming years.
Redrow said the news was “an important step towards meeting Net Zero North West’s goal to be the UK’s first net zero region by 2040.”
SP Energy Networks’ chief operating officer, Guy Jefferson, said: “Getting our network ready for net zero means making sure the capacity needed to support greener technologies is in place ahead of rising demand. That’s what Green Recovery Investment is all about.”
“The work we have completed across the five motorway service sites will help make low-carbon travel a reality for more and more people, supporting them to make the switch to electric transport and do their bit on the journey to net zero.”
bp invests £4 million in EV fleet optimisation software provider Dynamon
Software company Dynamon has announced a partnership with oil and gas multinational bp which sees the company invest £4 million in its Series A funding round.
Dynamon will help to optimise ‘lower emission solutions’ for its car fleets and develop a premium offer for customers. The company provides advanced data analytics and simulation software tools for transport companies to adopt lower carbon technology like EV charging infrastructure.
Dynamon’s Series A funding round will help ”scale up its platform and expand its operations in Europe and into North America,” according to the company.
Press release: bp has invested £4m in Dynamon, the top fleet optimization software provider and announces commercial agreement. Click the link below to read the full press release. https://t.co/1seLriFojj#bpInvestment #ElectricVehicles #FleetOptimization #sustainability pic.twitter.com/3gy1UmFCqM
— Dynamon (@dynamonanalytic) August 3, 2023
Dynamon’s software and analysis tools help businesses understand actions they can take to help decarbonise their fleets cost-effectively, improving research and trial time using their flagship software, ‘ZERO’.
The company says that in one 4,000 vehicle last mile trial, ZERO helped a customer identify a potential £22 million annual energy cost saving (£0.28/mile diesel vs £0.125/mile electric), as well as an 8,700 tonnes annual CO2 saving (609.86 g CO2e/litre diesel) after the tool analysed the best solution for fleet electrification.
According to recent bp industry research, nearly half of UK fleet managers (43%) and fleet drivers (41%) think they will introduce EVs to their fleets in the next two years.
Gareth Burns, vice president of bp ventures, said: “Faster adoption of lower carbon energy and mobility solutions will help drive bp towards meeting its ambition to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner and helping the world get to net zero.”
Angus Webb, chief executive of Dynamon, said: “It is our mission to bring the most advanced fleet optimisation tools to the transport industry. This is becoming increasingly critical with the transition to electric vehicles requiring both fleets and suppliers to perform complex analysis to ensure that solutions will be robust and cost effective.”
“Alongside the investment, Dynamon and bp have signed a commercial agreement to utilise ZERO, or similar tools. Working together will help bp pulse to diversify its fleet proposition and further develop its premium customer offer, providing customers with support as they increasingly look to adopt EV solutions.”
