BP will install electric vehicle charging points at some of its UK forecourts later this year as part of a new trial to see how conventional fuel forecourts can be integrated with EV charging requirements.
With over 3,100 forecourt sites in the UK, BP has invested $5 million (approx. £3.5m) in FreeWire, a US company specializing in rapid charging systems for electric vehicles. BP will trial FreeWire’s Mobi Charger at selected sites in the UK.
The Mobi Charger doesn't need hardwiring in like a conventional charging booth, and can be moved from one vehicle to another - supporting up to 10 vehicles at once at both normal and rapid charging rates. The company has yet to disclose how many UK forecourts will be part of the trial
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The news follows a previous announcement by the company’s chief executive Bob Dudley who said BP was in talks with a number of vehicle manufacturers over a “tie-up with our retail network for charging
According to Tufan Erginbilgic, chief executive of BP Downstream: “EV charging will undoubtedly become an important part of our business, but customer demand and the technologies available are still evolving.
“Using FreeWire’s mobile system we can respond very quickly and provide charging facilities at forecourts where we see the greatest demand without needing to make significant investments in today’s fixed technologies and infrastructure.
The opportunity also to explore options for providing charging services away from our existing retail sites makes FreeWire an ideal partner for BP.”
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