Gnewt founder Sam Clarke is to join Gridserve as its chief vehicle electrification officer.

His remit will include overall responsibility for helping people and businesses transition to using electric vehicles in the best way possible and in the earliest achievable times.

Clarke will also develop relationships with all types of fleet operators and electric vehicle manufacturers.

He said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining the Gridserve team for my next chapter in the UK’s vehicle electrification journey.

“Their passion for the environment, achievements to date in solar and sustainable transport are exceptional.

“Furthermore their ambitions for the future fully align with my own and I am hugely excited to have the opportunity to once again help shape and influence the trajectory of our future mobility needs.”

Clarke, who is a previous winner of the Great British Entrepreneurs Awards, founded green logistics specialist Gnewt in 2008 which was acquired by Menzies Distribution in 2017.

Clarke remained as its head of business development, with Gnewt now having delivered more than 10 million parcels, travelling more than 800,000 miles while saving around 500 tonnes of carbon.

During his career, he has also advised the London Mayor’s Office (GLA), Transport for London (TfL), the Transport Select Committee and the European Commission in Brussels, as well as working with a number of UK academic institutions, with whom he has co-authored a number of industry related papers.

Toddington Harper, CEO of Gridserve, added: “Having had the privilege of knowing Sam for many years, and more recently having him on our advisory board, we are delighted that he will shortly be joining Gridserve as part of our senior management team, engaging with all types of future and current electric vehicle users, manufacturers and the wider community to accelerate the uptake of EVs, ultimately helping to meet climate targets and a net-zero carbon future in the earliest possible timeframes.”

Gridserve last week announced it had started construction of its first EV charging forecourt, providing rapid chargers for up to 24 vehicles at once.

The site, which will open in the summer, will be located near Braintree on the A131.

Gridserve says it will open a nationwide network of 100 forecourts, all of which will be powered by clean, zero carbon solar energy and battery storage projects.

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