Manchester-based chargepoint firm Be.EV, which plans to double its 800 charging bays by the end of the year, has announced it is putting £2.5m into four charging stations comprising 30 bays in London.
The first of these has just opened at the Crown Hotel in Cricklewood in the north of the capital in partnership with AG Hotels, and features one 150kW charger serving two bays. The new sockets will “attract more eco-conscious guests and enhance guest experience by providing a convenient charging solution”, Be.EV says.
Be.EV is also set to open new sites in Croydon, Dartford and Watford as it makes use of a £55m investment NatWest and German finance house KfW IPEX-Bank made into the firm last summer.
The company says that while London has more chargers per capita than most of the country, it lags behind where faster units capable of delivering 50kW or more are concerned.
Asif Ghafoor, Be.EV’s chief executive, comments: “We’re helping to future-proof the city by putting chargers where people need them most: close to homes, shops and leisure destinations.”
AG Hotels Group’s managing director and chief executive, Girish Grover, says that being able to offer guests EV charging is a clear differentiator in the hospitality sector”, and describes the new Be.EV bays as “a strategic step that strengthens our sustainability agenda”.
