New ChargeUK Trade Association For EV Charging Industry Launched
The UK has a new trade organization for the EV charging sector. ChargeUK has officially been established. The organization consists of 18 of the biggest EV charging companies operating in the UK. The ChargeUK group is responsible for setting up the charge points required for the UK to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and achieve net zero emissions.
The members of ChargeUK announced that, together, they will spend more than £6 billion on constructing and operating new EV charging infrastructure by 2030. To double the network’s size by 2023, they want to deploy tens of thousands of extra chargers this year.
ChargeUK will work together with the government and other stakeholders to remove obstacles and define the rules and regulations required to facilitate the transition as the sector continues to expand charging availability and speed up investment and delivery.
The charging industry operators that make up ChargeUK will be important in assisting the UK’s move to net zero as EV adoption picks up speed. With one of the better EV infrastructure networks in the world, the UK can offer important insights as the world works to meet its climate goals.
Here are some statements from the group members:
Ian Johnston, Chair of ChargeUK and CEO of Osprey Charging Network, said: “The formation of ChargeUK is … a demonstration of the electric vehicle charging industry’s growing size and importance to the UK economy. Together we are investing billions of pounds to get more charge points in the ground right across the country. These numbers reinforce our commitment to the UK’s Net Zero future.”
Jesse Norman, the UK transport decarbonization and technology minister, said: “Our commitment to decarbonizing transport, backed by hundreds of millions in funding, has helped to unlock private sector investment, and the ambitious plans of ChargeUK’s members will support more people than ever make the transition to EVs.”
Philip van der Wilt, Senior Vice-President and General Manager EMEA of Samsara, said: “The move to double the size of the UK’s charging network in 2023 is key to enabling commercial fleet operators to transition to electric or hybrid vehicles. There is a big appetite among fleet-based businesses to create more sustainable operations, but having the right infrastructure to support their ambition is essential. Connected IoT technology can also play a pivotal role, helping fleet operators manage real-time EV charging at scale, for example by monitoring charge levels across the fleet and planning routes based on range.”
Fiona Howarth, CEO of Octopus EV, said: “Charging infrastructure is the key to the EV revolution, and it’s great to see government and industry come together to supercharge the rollout. The Government has set the direction and investors are pumping in much-needed capital. With over 23,000 public charging locations and rapid chargers almost doubling every year, UK drivers can enjoy the benefits of EVs: tech-on-wheels with low-cost fuel. The UK has a real chance to charge ahead in the race to zero emissions transport.”
Mark Newberry, sustainability spokesperson at Europcar Mobility Group UK, said: “It is encouraging to see the sector coming together to invest a predicted £6 billion in the UK infrastructure by 2030. Providing a single industry voice to work alongside the Government and drive the changes required to rapidly enhance UK infrastructure is key. The promise of tens of thousands of new chargers installed this year illustrates just how urgent this job is.”
The 18 founding members of ChargeUK are: Be.EV; Believe; BP Pulse; Char.gy; ChargePoint; Connected Kerb; ESB; Equans; Evyve; Fastned; Gridserve; Ionity; Mer; Osprey; Pod Point; PoGo Charge; Shell Recharge; and Raw Charging.
Sounds like the UK’s charging infrastructure is going to grow rapidly with this collaboration. Maybe something similar can be created in the United States? Get the EV charging infrastructure in place and the EV growth will follow.
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