EDF Energy has been chosen by ubitricity – a company offering alternative, low-cost electric vehicle (EV) charge points that can be integrated into lamp posts and bollards – to be the electricity provider for its UK charging network, ensuring that EV drivers have access to 100 per cent renewable backed electricity through all 1,800 ubitricity public charge points.
Together, EDF Energy and ubitricity will help those without off-street parking and those who live in flats and urban areas to access a reliable supply of power to charge their EVs. Around 40 per cent of cars are parked on the street overnight in the UK, meaning an offer such as this is needed to make EVs a reality.
Ubitricity has over 50 per cent of the market share in ten urban local authorities, including Liverpool, Portsmouth and central London boroughs such as Westminster. The deal is particularly significant for the capital, which currently has more than 1,600 ubitricity charge points.
Ubitricity’s approach to EV charging infrastructure aims to support the wide adoption of EVs by providing charging points for on-street parking locations. EDF Energy’s supply to these chargers is part of their commitment to being a major player in the EV sector, making it easier for businesses and consumers to access the infrastructure and the low-carbon energy that will help to decarbonise transport.
Ubitricity’s 1,800 public-access charge points each have a typical capacity of 5.5kW, giving their network a total capacity of 9.9MW. The network is made up of thousands of smaller capacity chargers which facilitate the integration and use of renewable power. Smart charging means that electric cars plugged in to ubitricity’s chargers respond to times of high and low demand on the grid, so that it can accommodate the fluctuations created by renewable energy.
Daniel Bentham, managing director of ubitricity, said: “The UK requires a comprehensive, economic charging infrastructure that allows drivers of electric vehicles to connect to a charger whenever and wherever they are parked, which is some 95 per cent of the time. Our vision at ubitricity is to build out this infrastructure providing electricity for everyone. This can only be economically and practically achieved including assets that already exist – whether that be lamp posts or bollards. We want to empower everyone to play a role in helping the UK reach a carbon neutral future – something that our partnership with EDF Energy will help us realise.”
