Balfour Beatty has announced a £60m investment into electric vehicle chargepoint operating company Urban Fox
Balfour Beatty Investments has joined the electric vehicle(EV) market with a £60m investment into Urban Fox, intending to roll out 35,000 pop-up chargepoint installations over the next ten years.
EV have been positioned as one way to help the UK reach net zero targets by 2050; however, uptake has been slow due to a lack of accessibility to chargepoints.
Urban Fox offers a solution to local authorities seeking a whole life solution to chargepoint installation– funding, building, operating and maintaining chargepoints of varying speeds.
The pop-up chargepoints are discrete and accessible
Installed into the pavement, the 7kW unit is fully retractable underground, preventing pavements from feeling cluttered when not in use, whilst remaining easily accessible.
The ease of access and installation of these pop-up chargepoints aims to meet the growing demand for electric vehicle support, especially in public spaces, as 43% of British households do not have access to off-street parking.
The launch follows a successful scheme of pop-up chargepoints
A five year pilot from Urban Fox indicated that retractable chargers could be installed in c. 80% of streets, with the units tested across Oxford, Dundee and Plymouth City Councils, as well as Staffordshire County Council.
Mark Flynn, convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee, said: “Last year when we commissioned these on street residential chargers through a combination of funding, including local and Scottish Government, we wanted to start breaking down some of the barriers to owning and running an electric vehicle; in particular, recognising that more than half of the city’s homes don’t have access to off street parking.
“By putting these chargers at seven locations spread across the Maryfield, Lochee and West End wards, we are making a start.”
The Balfour Beatty investment in alternate energy sources is vital to achieving net zero
The investment and installation strategy will aid local authorities in reaching the green targets as set out in the UK Government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy “Taking Charge” in creating a convenient network of chargepoints across the UK.
Gavin Russell, CEO Balfour Beatty Investments, commented “In order to achieve the Government’s 2050 Net Zero strategy, it’s imperative that alternative energy sources are widely available and accessible.
“Balfour Beatty’s close and long-standing relationships with local authorities across the length and breadth of the UK make us well able to tackle the challenge head on; putting our unrivalled capability in providing green infrastructure for communities and our collaborative spirit to good use.”
