Pod Point strikes property portfolio EV charging deal

Pod Point has announced a preferred supplier partnership with property investment company, Custodian REIT, which will deliver new charging hubs across the country.

As part of Custodian’s wider ESG strategy to improve the energy performance of its portfolio, the investment manager is prioritising on-site carbon reducing technology, infrastructure and onsite renewables.

The partnership with Pod Point is the result of its commitment to install EV charging across all retail warehousing sites by 2025, in addition to a phased roll out across office and industrial assets.

The agreement will see Pod Point install EV chargers at twelve sites over 2022 and 2023, with a view to Custodian retaining the EV charging firm to continue its EV charging roll out across future acquired assets for both public and tenant use.

The 12 sites comprise nine retail assets and three workplace locations for use by Custodian’s commercial tenants.

Each retail location will be installed with at least four rapid charging bays offering 75kW or 100kW speeds and will be made available at a competitive rate to retail customers, while 7kW chargers will be installed in the office locations.

Richard Shepherd-Cross, managing director of Custodian Capital, the company’s external fund manager, said: “Pod Point is playing an integral role in helping us achieve our ESG goals while also enabling us to futureproof our retail and industrial assets as we transition to an electric future.

“The provision of EV charging across our retail estates also significantly enhances the properties’ occupier appeal by increasing customer footfall and dwell time.

“We are well on track to rolling EV charging points out widely across our portfolio.”

The retail rollout will include the following nine sites: Gazelle Close, Reading; Harbour Road, Portishead, Bristol; Wellington Road Retail Park, Burton on Trent; St Catherine’s Leisure Park, Perth; Phoenix Leisure Park, Crewe; Coypool Retail Park, Plymouth; Duloch Park, Dunfermline; Kew Retail Park, Southport; and Eastern Avenue Retail Park, Gloucester.

Meanwhile workplace charging facilities are now live at: Willow Court, Oxford; Trafford Park, Manchester; and Lochside Way, Edinburgh.

All of the electricity used to power the chargepoints across Custodian REIT assets are from 100% renewable energy sources.

Erik Fairbairn, CEO of Pod Point, said: “ESG has become an imperative for many investors and we’re delighted to be working with Custodian REIT to help them achieve their ambitious goals in this area.”

Pod Point’s installers carry out the consultation, delivery, installation, activation and ongoing maintenance of the EV chargers at each of Custodian’s sites.