Networks race to secure the best rapid chargers
Networks race to secure the best rapid chargers
The latest news from Britain's EV sector
Hello, I’m Tom Riley, and welcome back to The Fast Charge, a British EV newsletter.
Top stories in today’s edition… charging networks race to secure the best devices, Tesla suggests trade barriers with China, and a race circuit in Wales bans EVs from track days.
As ever, if you have any thoughts or feedback, do get in touch via my contact details below or reply to this email.
Networks are racing to secure the best charging stations
Summary: They say in a gold rush, sell shovels. Well, with the government targeting some 300,000 chargers by 2030, I have learned from industry sources that there could be a scramble by operators looking to secure the best rapid chargers for their networks. This has led to a sort of ‘race’ with companies placing large orders with device manufacturers, especially those networks with plans for many more locations across the UK.
Background: Anyone who has been to (or even seen images of) sites belonging to different charging networks will notice that, while the branding is different, many of the machines look similar. And that’s because these networks are installing devices manufactured by a handful of global businesses who specialise in high powered tech. For example, one company called Alpitronic – which makes a popular ultra-rapid charger – is being used by InstaVolt, bp pulse, Fastned, MFG EV Power, Mer, and Raw (and probably others I haven’t come across too!). As another recent example, Sainsbury’s ‘Smart Charge’ network uses the same Kempower chargers as Osprey.
Makes sense… It’s not news that companies use the same machines. It’s similar to how no doubt 50% of people reading this probably have an iPhone. However, the difference is that chargers are not made equal. Some of them are significantly better than others. And, for networks in the UK, not only are they alert that unreliable or unfriendly devices can impact their revenue, but they also have the charge point regulations to consider – which penalises those with poor reliability. This is all putting a huge emphasis on operators to consider their equipment carefully.
Another worry… The main companies supplying rapid chargers to the UK – for example, Kempower, ABB, Tritium, Alpitronic – do a lot of their business in Europe. This is because European countries, like us, are also increasing the rollout of chargers significantly. One concern raised is manufacturers could end up being spread thin. I did contact several manufacturers about this, though they were unable to comment.
The result is… Networks I’ve spoken to believe a squeeze on the supply of the best quality chargers could occur. One option many are considering is to place large orders with those who make the best devices. Tom Hurst, UK Country Manager at Fastned, told me: "I think it's an understandable concern within the industry. For all those CPOs that are worried, they need to remember that an ambitious roll-out, and thus a large order book is the best way to ensure a consistent supply."
But… What if you’re a slightly newer network on the block? Calm Charging, which launched last year to build a premium rapid network, said their experience securing chargers was currently as anticipated. Mark Cooper, Co-Founder and MD at Calm, explained: “Where a model is more in demand, manufacturers are doing all they can to ramp up production.”
Meanwhile… It’s clear that some networks, especially those wanting to deploy quickly, have opted for, let’s politely say, more standard chargers in the eyes of drivers. Elsewhere, some networks are taking a hybrid approach, by deploying a multitude of machines made by different manufacturers.
New revenue… Tesla, which operates its own Supercharger network, has seemingly capitalised on the increasing demand in the industry for reliable devices. In late 2023, the carmaker signed huge deals with the forecourt chain EG Group and also bp pulse to supply its tech.
The future is bright… In an Autocar interview last week, Osprey CEO and CharegUK Chair, Ian Johnston, said 2024 is going to make 2023 “look like a quiet year” when it comes to charger installations. From what I hear and read, many networks agree with that optimism, especially as councils start to flex government funding.
However… The question remains whether a battle for the best chargers will get more heated and whether it will be won by those with the fattest cheques. Mark Cooper at Calm Charging thinks new competition to the manufacturer market will help answer that question for networks, commenting: “New entrants with proven pedigree are entering the sector with fabulous products and less congested order books.”
As a proof point… Only at the end of last year, Lotus – known for making sports cars – launched its own rapid charger tech. The race is on!
Top EV News…
📈 Tomorrow at 9.30am, the Department for Transport will publish the latest set of official charger stats. The new figures will likely show the UK now has some 54,000 public chargers. I’ll be sharing my analysis next week.
😔 It seems Aussie businessman, David Collard, buyer of Britishvolt, was recently arrested and charged over allegations of assault and harassment in New York. The charges relate to an incident in November when Collard was allegedly protecting a friend. A trial is set for 23 February, which Collard expects to be cleared at. Meanwhile, at the Britishvolt site in Blyth, local MP Ian Lavery has said “the government have got to intervene” in the site, further to a year of endless issues, twists and turns. Read more.
📊 Speaking of manufacturing, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders revealed last week that UK production of EVs (including hybrids) surged to 346,451 units, up 48.0% on the year before. Overall, the UK produced 1,025,474 vehicles in 2023. Read more.
🛬 I’ve been stalking Elon’s private jet, and it seems midday on Saturday 20 January, Musk landed at Luton Airport en route to Poland. He spent nearly 30 hours in the UK before taking off in the evening of Sunday 21 January. He was quite active on X/Twitter during those hours but, other than that, it’s not clear if he got up to anything. You can stalk his jet here.
🚗 Talking of Tesla, TV presenter James May revealed his latest car purchase is a Model 3 – the new one, which does have a rather sporty face. May has previously owned a Model S. See his unveiling video here.
💸 Despite James (and thousands of others) purchasing Teslas recently, their latest filing last week was not overly positive. Tesla sold a record 1.8 million cars in 2023, but even so Musk reported 2024 would be “notably lower” and warned that Chinese carmakers “will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world.” He suggested trade barriers may be needed – which I’m sure went down like a cup of cold sick in China, where many of his cars are made. Read more.
👍 Osprey launched several new chargers in Daventry, the Northamptonshire market town. Read more.
🔌 Worcestershire will gain more than a hundred chargers as part of a long-term deal it has signed with Zest. Read more.
🏪 Having only recently launched its network, Sainsbury’s has unveiled a new 12 charger hub at its supermarket in Leicester. Read more.
🎉 And even more network news… Fastned opened its 21st site in the UK this month in Hampshire. Read more.
💷 Copenhagen HQed Monta, the charging software firm, has just closed a £68 million Series B round. The cash will be used to grow significantly in the UK. Read more.
🍎 The launch of the Apple electric car – yes, they are still working on that – has been pushed back two years to 2028. Read more (paywall). Or see a full recap on MacRumours.
🏦 Talking of cans being kicked, carmaker Renault has decided to cancel a planned IPO for its EV business (called Ampere). Read more (paywall).
🚜 Speaking of launches, Porsche last week revealed that it will start selling an electric Macan in the UK this year. The starting price will be £70,000, with a slightly more powerful model being priced at £95,000. The original Macan to me is a bit ‘Chelsea Tractor’ – or as a hilarious comment I read online called it… a ‘vulgar ego-chariot’ – so it’ll be interesting how the EV version performs. Read more.
🚙 LEVC, the maker of London taxis, is planning to launch an electric eight seat van in the UK. It should arrive in 2026. Read more.
🅿️ From April, parking an EV in Westminster will no longer be free. Tickets will be based on the size of a battery/car instead.
🏁 A racetrack in Wales (Anglesey Circuit) has banned EVs from partaking in track days. According to the boss, the reason isn’t that they are anti-EV, just that they are concerned about how to respond if there are problems. “We have no real way of telling what issues are going to come through,” commented Annette Freeman, general manager of the track. “As a circuit, we don’t have the equipment or training at the moment to deal with that situation.” See story here.
😑 Finally, there was a long read on the BBC yesterday about how young drivers could be risking fraud to save money on insurance. A troubling story, but not as much as news from Bloomberg that average EV premiums in the UK surged to approximately £1,344 in 2023 – nearly twice what it is for ICE vehicles. Read more (paywall).
By Tom Riley | Check my Linktree for LinkedIn, TikTok and Twitter
I'm surprised Apple has failed so badly in the EV space. Google is working with Volvo and Ford so supply the infotainment.
Huawei, Xiaomi and Baidu are all active. While they don't make cars themselves, Huawei is aiming to be the next Bosch, and there should be around a million Huawei powered cars produced this year by the likes of Aito and Arcfox.