Electric briefs: Latest industry news from DriveElectric, InstaVolt, BYD, CBVC and ElectriX, Bonnet, Osprey and Gridserve

Salary sacrifice for electric vehicles launched by DriveElectric

DriveElectric has launched a salary sacrifice product for electric vehicles (EVs) to complement its existing vehicle leasing offer.

The company says it will assist organisations to promote salary sacrifice schemes to employees and can organise EV test drive events.

DriveElectric also offers a secure portal for employers and their employees to order, manage and track their EV.

It can also supply a home charger if needed, which can be included in the salary sacrifice package, as well as provide support with solutions for workplace charging, solar, vehicle to grid, and energy management and optimisation via DriveElectric’s sister company CrowdCharge.

Mike Potter, managing director of DriveElectric, said: “Salary sacrifice offers a wide range of compelling benefits.

“Bringing down the monthly cost of electric cars helps more drivers make the switch to EVs. This in turn reduces drivers’ vehicle running costs and helps employers to offer attractive benefits for their staff.

“Reducing emissions also accelerates an organisation’s progress to Net Zero.”

InstaVolt submits planning for London’s largest ultra-rapid charging hub

InstaVolt has announced it has submitted plans to build what it believes will be the UK’s largest fully open hub of ultra-rapid chargers inside the M25 at Syon Park in Brentford.

The site, says Instavolt, is easily accessible from the A4 and M4, helping it to meet the company’s target of installing 10,000 rapid chargers by 2030.

Adrian Keen, CEO of InstaVolt said: “The location of Syon Park is pivotal to engaging those who live on the commuter belt and providing them with an option to charge at a site where they themselves can switch off and recharge.

“Being able to launch a large hub with reliable charging and access to amenities Syon Park offers, is key to encouraging a change of sentiment when it comes to charging in the UK.

“We want EV drivers to see charging as an opportunity to rest, take in nature, or stop for a bite to eat.”

CBVC and ElectriX target fleets with business leasing

Fleet management company CBVC and ElectriX are expanding their partnership to include electric vehicles (EVs) on business contract hire.

Until now ElectriX was only available to personal customers. The offering has now been extended to help businesses switch to electric vehicles.

Mike Manners, managing director of CBVC, which provides the end-to-end leasing journey for ElectriX, said: “We are really pleased to add business contract hire to the ElectriX offering.

“Our 20 years of fleet management experience means that we’re perfectly positioned to support ElectriX business customers.

“The environmental, social, and governance agenda is so important for businesses right now and the transition to electric vehicles is a core part of that.

“We’ve already helped many customers to decarbonise their fleets and we’re looking forward to supporting more businesses to make the switch.”

The ElectriX website has a wide range of electric cars to suit a range of business budgets, with a variety of cars available in under 12 weeks and some deliverable in 30 days.

City West Country group to open BYD dealership

Chinese automotive giant, BYD, are opening a new dealership in the south-west.

BYD South West will be backed by City West Country Group, which operates franchises for Mercedes-Benz South West, Smart, Tangelo and GWM ORA.

The Exeter dealership will open its doors on August 1 at Waterbridge Court, Marsh Barton, where customers will have the opportunity to test drive the BYD Atto 3. 

City West Country managing director, Mike Wickins, commented, “We’re immensely proud that BYD UK has chosen Exeter and City West Country to begin their venture into the south-west.”

Simon Bisp, head of sales at BYD UK, added: “BYD are delighted to begin our partnership with City West Country in Exeter.

“We are excited to launch our stunning range of vehicles in the UK – and thrilled to be working with City West Country to do so.”

BYD - an acronym for ‘Build Your Dreams’ - are the world’s best-selling EV manufacturer, selling more than 1.8 million vehicles in 2022.

Bonnet extends B2B service with new ‘Alternator’ offer

Bonnet has launched a new service as part of its B2B offering, following the release of Bonnet Dash in April.

‘Alternator’, it says, can be integrated into native apps and offers a customisable UX to conform to businesses’ specific needs, allowing third-party customers to interact with the Alternator client’s own branding and interface.

It also aims to offer flexibility on pricing models, access to driver charging data, and 24/7 customer support.

Companies who want to help their EV drivers with their public charging can choose from a fully customisable range of payment options to partially or fully fund employees’ or users’ charging - reducing the need for extensive reimbursement processes.

Alternator clients will get access to all the charging sessions data.

Patrick Reich, CEO and co-founder of Bonnet, said: “During our time in this space, we’ve already seen that businesses are keen to move at increasing pace to electrify their fleets.

“However, they want to do it under their own colours and do it in their own way alongside their own app features, which is why we created Alternator.

“As some of our most important customers, we’re keen to make sure that fleet managers have access to the best tools; simplifying and streamlining their processes to ensure that business in this country and across Europe continues to be as green as possible.”

Grant Shapps welcomes opening of new ultra-rapid EV charging hub

Transport secretary Grant Shapps recently visited Osprey’s newly expanded electric vehicle (EV) charging hub in Welwyn Garden City.

As Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield, Shapps welcomed the addition of greater access to EV charging in his constituency, supporting local decarbonisation efforts and the uptake of EVs both for residents and businesses, and for visitors to the area.

Shapps said: “I’m delighted to see the expansion of Osprey’s EV charging site, which has proved to be an important asset to Welwyn Hatfield’s EV drivers.

“Fast, reliable and easy-to-use public EV charging locations such as this hub are vitally important to hitting our net-zero targets. They help improve confidence in the national infrastructure and practically support the uptake of electric vehicles at the local level too.”

Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, said: “A crucial element of our strategy at Osprey is to understand the requirements of our customers and adapt the network to meet growing customer demand, installing more chargers in locations across Great Britain and upgrading existing locations.

“The Bakehouse is one of our most popular sites to date and the latest in our roll out of 150 high-power hubs, that includes upgrading existing in-demand locations such as this.”

Gridserve supplements existing grid connection with solar energy

Gridserve has combined the latest innovations in batteries and solar energy to supplement the existing grid connection to deliver 10 times the charging power for electric vehicles (EVs) at Cornwall Services.

A 12-charger Electric Super Hub has been opened on the A30, complete with a solar canopy.

Six High Power 350kW-capable chargers provide a quick top up for people passing through on their journeys, along with six low-power AC chargers for overnight guests at the onsite hotel.

Toddington Harper, Gridserve CEO, said: “We hope the innovative technology we have deployed at this location can also become a blueprint for others, where larger grid connections will be too slow to deliver to keep up with the demand that the rapid transition to electric vehicles presents.

“We have also submitted plans to further increase energy capacity at the site in future with an adjacent solar farm, which will allow us to deliver up to 4 million zero carbon miles energy directly into electric vehicles every year.

“Whilst we are still in the initial stages of the project, the Electric Super Hub has already proven itself through the Easter and early May Bank holidays charging over 100 cars a day during busy periods.

“We are also excited for what is still to come at Cornwall Services as we continue to refine and optimise the system over time to deliver the best possible charging experience, powered by sustainable zero carbon energy.”

Andrew King, commercial manager at Cornwall Services, added: " An increased number of faster charging bays will only make our customers’ lives easier and we look forward to continuing our mission to offer best-in-class facilities to our many loyal customers while minimising our environmental impact."