BP to add electric car charging points to UK petrol stations this year

Chargemaster said £130m deal was 'true milestone' for low carbon motoring

BP has bought UK electric vehicle charging company, Chargemaster, for £130m as part of its plans to serve EVs at forecourts across the country.

Chargemaster, which was founded in 2008, operates the UK’s largest network of EV charging points, with 6,500 in total. It also designs, builds, sells and maintains the units.

The deal signals BP’s intent to add electric vehicle drivers to its customer base in the UK.

According to the oil firm, developing convenient and innovative EV charging technologies and networks “is a key part of BP’s strategy to advance the energy transition”. The company expects to launch the chargers at BP forecourts over the next year.

It also plans to roll out ultra-fast charging equipment, which will include 150kW rapid chargers, which will take just 10 minutes to give cars enough energy to drive 100 miles.

Tufan Erginbilgic, chief executive of BP Downstream, said the oil giant’s decision to combine with Chargemaster will “deliver a truly differentiated offer for the country’s growing number of electric vehicle owners”.

Mr Erginbilgic said: “At BP we believe that fast and convenient charging is critical to support the successful adoption of electric vehicles. Combining BP’s and Chargemaster’s complementary expertise, experience and assets is an important step towards offering fast and ultra-fast charging at BP sites across the UK and to BP becoming the leading provider of energy to low carbon vehicles, on the road or at home.”

David Martell, chief executive of Chargemaster, said the deal “marks a true milestone in the move towards low carbon motoring in the UK”.

After the deal completes, all Chargemaster employees will continue to be employed by BP Chargemaster or its subsidiaries. BP Chargemaster will operate as a wholly-owned BP entity.

Erik Fairbairn, chief exec and founder of Pod Point, a competitor of Chargemaster, said the tie-up was “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,” he added.

“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.”