London is a very charged city these days, but EV advocates point  out that other areas of the UK are sadly lacking in charging infrastructure. EV charging network operator Be.EV aims to address this situation, deploying thousands of new charge points across the UK, many of them in the Midlands.

The company, which is backed by £110 million from Octopus Energy Generation, is now scouting out suitable sites such as retail parks and pubs, and working to secure land in or near cities including Birmingham, Derby and Nottingham. Be.EV has appointed commercial property agent FHP to find new sites in the region.

The new charging hubs will be powered by renewable energy generated by Octopus Energy.

In July, Octopus added the Be.EV charging network to its Electroverse charging map—this brought 200 charge points into the Octopus network, most of them in the North of England.

“Mass EV uptake depends on the quality of the charging experience, and at the moment, there simply aren’t enough reliable and accessible locations,” said FHP Director Doug Tweedie. “Be.EV is well funded and has the UK’s fastest-growing charging network, with an impressive operational availability rate of 99.6%.”

“We are in discussions with commercial landlords and private landowners, some of whom were not previously aware that their sites could be redeveloped for EV charging purposes,” says Tweedie. “There are many vacant sites in the region that people haven’t got the finance to develop. Aside from granting a lease, there is very little onus on the landowner, as Be.EV will ensure that each development is fully funded, managed and has access to power.”

Source: Current News