Paua, a provider of electric vehicle charging technology, is collaborating with local authorities and other organisations to make shared electric vehicle (EV) charging depots a reality for commercial fleets.
Paua has announced the collaboration with Cenex, Oxfordshire County Council and Suffolk County Council, who together are launching a pilot of the Paua Private Infrastructure Network Solution (PINS). The project will be funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Innovate UK.
According to the Association of Fleet Professionals, an industry body representing commercial fleet operators, 62% of fleets would consider taking part in a co-operative agreement to share EV charging facilities.
As such, the four organisations have agreed to demonstrate the commercial potential of charging depot sharing to help decarbonise fleets. The two county councils will provide depot locations for business vehicles to charge at, Paua will provide payment solutions for these chargepoints, while Cenex will engage with fleets and other stakeholders to examine the positives and negatives of the proposals.
Mike Biddle, executive director for net zero at Innovate UK said: “By looking at decarbonisation through a place-based lens it is hoped that these projects will bring wider benefits above and beyond transport decarbonisation such as the improved health of residents through better access to active travel modes, a greater sense of community created by schemes or a decrease in congestion levels due to fewer private vehicles on the road. We’re looking forward to the project completion next year and seeing the impact.”
Niall Riddell, CEO and co-founder of Paua added: “Paua seeks to innovate to enable businesses to simplify their transition to electric. Having led the aggregation of UK public charging, developed technology to reimburse home charging, we now see this sharing of depots as the next natural step to meeting the needs of fleet professionals.”
Commercial EV fleets on the rise
This is not the first time a trial to address concerns in the commercial EV sector has been run in the UK.
In June, planning software provider Dynamon announced the launch of a trial of electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), also funded by the DfT and Innovate UK at a cost of £63 million. The eFREIGHT 2030 project will see eHGVs take on roles that diesel trucks usually complete to prove the business case for their use while also creating a publicly accessible network of 1MW eHGV charging hubs across the UK.
