BP said today that it had invested £3.5million in a US-based manufacturer of mobile electric vehicle (EV) rapid charging systems.
The energy major said it would roll out FreeWire Technologies’ Mobi Charger units at various UK and European retail sites this year.
Tufan Erginbilgic, chief executive, BP Downstream, said: “Mobility is changing and BP is committed to remaining the fuel retailer of choice into the future. EV charging will undoubtedly become an important part of our business, but customer demand and the technologies available are still evolving.
“Using FreeWire’s mobile system we can respond very quickly and provide charging facilities at forecourts where we see the greatest demand without needing to make significant investments in today’s fixed technologies and infrastructure.
“The opportunity also to explore options for providing charging services away from our existing retail sites makes FreeWire an ideal partner for BP.”
Arcady Sosinov, CEO of FreeWire Technologies, said: “We applaud BP’s commitment to providing a wide range of charging methods for its global customer base.
“The Mobi Charger can be quickly and cost effectively scaled across vast transportation networks — flexibility that delivers benefits all along the EV charging value chain.
“We are thrilled that BP, which is such a significant provider of transportation infrastructure, has acknowledged the promise of our solution through this investment and partnership.”