BP Chargemaster, BP’s UK-based charging network subsidiary, has powered up its first 150 kW ultra-fast charger at a BP retail site. The charger is the first in a planned network of ultra-fast chargers across the UK. BP plans to roll out 400 ultra-fast chargers at BP sites across the UK by the end of 2021,… Read more »
BP Ventures has invested in Powershare, a Chinese provider of integrated hardware and software for EV charging, during a Series A funding round. PowerShare offers an online platform that connects drivers, charge point operators, and power suppliers. The company’s cloud-based system allows power suppliers to continuously monitor the power demand from vehicles and balance it… Read more »
The oil and gas giant’s EV investment rationale is outlined in its new report, BP Technology Outlook. Demand for travel is central to modern society. Currently, transport accounts for 20% of global primary energy use. The global light-duty fleet of cars, vans, and light trucks is here to stay for the foreseeable future. In fact,… Read more »
Rolling out the charging stations necessary to enable wide-scale adoption of EVs is a challenging task. Though valiant efforts are being made, there are still a lot of problematic applications that could benefit from innovative solutions. One young company, FreeWire Technologies, believes it has an answer to help with scalability: batteries on wheels. Business school… Read more »
BP has agreed to purchase Chargemaster, which builds charging stations and operates a network of over 6,500 public charging points across the UK. Unlike some oil giants, BP is taking a proactive approach to the coming transition to electric transport. The company estimates that there will be 12 million EVs on UK roads by 2040,… Read more »
BP’s venture capital arm has invested $5 million in FreeWire Technologies, a San Francisco-based manufacturer of mobile rapid charging systems, and plans to roll out FreeWire’s Mobi Charger units at selected BP retail sites in the UK and Europe during 2018. “Mobility is changing, and BP is committed to remaining the fuel retailer of choice… Read more »
Major oil companies are beginning to explore the possibility of offering EV charging at their retail outlets. Shell has begun installing DC fast chargers at selected stations in the Netherlands and the UK. Now British Petroleum has begun talking to EV-makers about partnering on a network of charging stations. “We have discussions going on with… Read more »
European electronics giant ABB announced Friday that it has started installing fast-charging systems at BP service stations in the Netherlands as part of a nationwide trial. The first two of the company’s Terra DC chargers have been installed in Utrecht, and will go into service this week, with several more to follow in the months… Read more »