Be.EV charging network is entering the Midlands
British charging network Be.EV has announced plans to deploy thousands of new charge points. Mainly known across the North West of England, Be.EV is focusing considerable investment on a new region, the Midlands.
Backed by £110m from Octopus Energy Generation, the EV charging business is looking for locations such as retail parks, pubs and car parks and sites for sale in the region’s largest cities, including Birmingham, Derby and Nottingham.
Be.EV contracted commercial property agent FHP to source the new sites in the Midlands. Its director and head of Birmingham office, Doug Tweedie, said discussions were underway with commercial landlords and private landowners, “some of whom were not previously aware that their sites could be redeveloped for EV charging purposes”. He added that aside from granting a lease, there was “very little onus on the landowner, as Be. EV will ensure that each development is fully funded, managed and has access to power”.
Asif Ghafoor, chief executive and co-founder of Be.EV added, “EV charging provides a great opportunity to increase footfall to sites and create new and sustained income streams for commercial landlords and landowners”.
More details, such as the type of charging station or precise budget, have yet to be disclosed.
Given the current network size of 200 chargers, as stated on the website, deploying another 1,000 means a huge advance.
The company is bringing some experience and is, for example, Transport for Greater Manchester’s preferred charging partner. Recent initiatives saw Be.EV signing with Siemens to supply smart metering. Be.EV CEO Ghafoor, at the time, said the work with Siemens was “a volume-based deal which will result in the first wave of 1,000 new chargers by 2024”. Be.EV is also a member of ChargeUp UK. The lobby group wants to invest more than six billion pounds in charging infrastructure in the UK by 2030.
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