Fuel card company Allstar has joined forces with Co Charger, allowing fleet drivers to rent private ‘wallbox’ chargepoints out from homeowners.
Co Charger launched in 2020 and works on a ‘community charger’ model, which sees homeowners with EV chargers rent their chargepoints out to those without, increasing convenience and reducing cost.
Co Charger has 6,000 ‘hosts’ signed up to its services, and fleet drivers signed up to Allstar can now use their fuel cards to pay to charge at hosts’ sockets.
While most domestic wallboxes can charge at a maximum of 7kW, against the 150kW+ delivered by ultra-rapid commercial chargepoints, Allstar envisions the Co Charger points to be used as ‘near home’ destination sockets rather than for one-off charging sessions.
The idea is that by sharing private chargers, EV drivers who do not have their own off-street parking can regularly use neighbours’ domestic points, removing the need for them to potentially drive further to access public points.
Tom Rowlands from Corpay, Allstar’s parent company, says the partnership “will benefit those that aren’t able to install their own charger such as those living in apartment buildings or without a driveway, all while reducing costs and downtime for drivers”.
Joel Teague, Co Charger’s chief executive, says: “By enabling drivers to charge overnight, when they’re off duty, we’re helping fleets reduce costs, cut downtime, and accelerate their shift to electric.”
Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator, deems Co Charger hosts to be renting chargers rather than selling electricity, removing the need for regulation or registrations. Co Charger recommends potential hosts consult with their home insurance company, though the firm adds: “we’ve never heard of any damage or disputes, but it’s up to everyone to make their own judgement on that risk”.
