Schneider Electric and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions have signed a five-year partnership that will see the companies work together to provide electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions.
The companies claim that the partnership will help make electrical transport more commercially viable for business fleets in particular. The companies recognise the myriad benefits of using EVs but admit that “practicalities in charging have acted as a barrier for many”.
As a result, Schneider and Hitachi Capital want to help companies overcome this barrier by providing EV charging solutions to Hitachi Capital customers at their workplaces and depot networks.
“We believe that working together in partnership with Hitachi Capital, will help promote a higher standard of experience for the customer,” explained David Greaves, business development director at Schneider Electric. “The benefits are enormous, and range from access to easy, safe and high performance charging to helping make Britain a cleaner, greener place.”
Tim Bowden, head of operations at Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions added: “At Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions, we pride ourselves in providing a quality, partnered, efficient process and service for our customers. We were looking to work with an organisation that shared our passion for providing high-quality service. Schneider Electric share the same ethics as Hitachi Capital and was a natural choice. Hitachi Capital’s appetite for new technology keeps us and our customers at the forefront of innovation and this partnership will further enhance our technological skills.”
The rise of EVs in the UK remains impressive, with growth exceeding 200% in 2014 and vehicles sales in 2015 show that the UK is currently on track to exceed this figure again. The government also recently confirmed that it would extend the plug-in grant for EVs until February 2016 at the least.
