BP, with 1,200 service stations, is to buy the UK’s largest EV charging company, Chargemaster, which operates over 6,500 charging points.
Under its new name, BP Chargemaster will rollout ultra-fast charging infrastructure, including 150 kW chargers capable of delivering 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes.
BP said customers can expect to see BP Chargemaster chargers appearing on forecourts over the next 12 months. Downstream chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic said: “At BP we believe that fast and convenient charging is critical to support the successful adoption of electric vehicles.”
David Martell, chief executive of Chargemaster, said “I am truly excited to lead the Chargemaster team into a new era backed by the strength and scale of BP, which will help us maintain our market-leading position and grow the national POLAR charging network to support the large range of exciting new electric vehicles that are coming to market in the next couple of years.”
Erik Fairbairn, founder and chief executive of charging company Pod Point said: “The acquisition of Chargemaster by BP is testament to the fact that future of transport is electric. Traditional oil companies know that they cannot afford to ignore this shift from internal combustion engine vehicles (ICE). At Pod Point we’ve always highlighted how EV technology is advancing so rapidly that within just a few years they will become the natural choice for anyone buying a car. Today’s news shows that this is becoming an increasingly mainstream view. It’s obviously exciting to see the rapid acceleration of the EV market.”