There are dozens of CPOs across the country, why should drivers filter for Be.EV when they open Zapmap?
We’re focused on making Be.EV’s big green Hubs simple, reliable and a little charming. With such a close link with the EV community, we know what EV drivers want and need: whether that’s big bays, reliable ultra-rapid Kempower chargers, an easy app or loads of ways to pay.
You’ll see ‘Love Every Electric Journey’ start to appear all over everything we do, because our mission isn’t just about charging any more, it’s actually about making charging a forgettable part of your daily electric life (yes… you heard us!). We’re not your destination, we just power how you get there – so we’re building a network that fits easily into your busy life. We’ll charge-up your electric journeys- big or small - across the UK.
What's been the biggest surprise for Be.EV so far this year, and how have you responded to that?
We’ve been really taken aback by community feedback this year!
We’ve been surprised at the positivity we’ve been met with from our awesome EV drivers, whether it’s about our new app and back-office system launch in May of this year, our Price Drop in June, or the suite of upgrades to Charging Hub designs more recently in the name of improving driver experience. We also launched our Test Driver programme, where around 250 EV drivers from all knowledge levels and walks of life get to hear about developments early and add their feedback to our future plans.
EV drivers love to share their thoughts, and love it even more when they see charging networks listen and implement real upgrades to the network off the back of it. So, a huge thank you from the whole Be.EV team, and to all EV drivers, whatever your thoughts or ideas – please keep them coming!
What is your most unique location in your network and why?
There’s a special Be.EV Hub in the Lake District at a lovely heritage hotel called Abbey House Hotel & Gardens – and it’s unique for us because we provide both slower overnight charging and convenient ultra-rapid charging – with a very small power supply to make it happen!
Being quite remote, there wasn’t a whole load of power available to us when we were building the location, so we installed a 200kW Kempower Powerbank which dynamically balances charging power between 4 ultra-rapid bays. This means we can offer charging to four EVs at any time (up to 150kW each), with the clever brains of the charger load balancing to ensure every EV charges as quick as possible with the little power available.
Be.EV charging at Abbey House Hotel & Gardens
On top of that, we’ve got another 6 bays of slower 7kW AC charging for guests staying overnight or for several hours, which also benefit from cheaper off-peak charging for 10 hours every night whilst guests are enjoying some rest & relaxation.
This little Hub with 10 electric bays serves the community of Barrow-in-Furness and beyond with reliable ultra-rapid charging, as well as some great electric perks for hotel guests.
It shows you can do great things with the right hardware and a focus on great driver experience, even in slightly more challenging settings!
What will the public EV charging solution look like by 2040, and how will it differ from the solutions offered today?
So far, we’ve seen the real early adopters jump into the world of electric (because it’s awesome!), but by 2040, we’ll have majority of the road fleet electrified.
That means everyone will be motoring on battery power, and we’re betting on a few things that’ll evolve from today’s electric experience:
- Convenience – instead of going somewhere to charge, you’ll be charging amongst the activities of your busy life. We don’t think future electric motoring will be replacing petrol forecourts with simply more forecourts, instead you’ll be topping up at ultra-rapid speeds at parks, retail centres, whilst you’re grabbing coffee or whilst dropping into town. We’re putting a huge focus on building locations that don’t match the conventional model of refuelling, but instead fit your life (where it just so happens to be electric).
- Humanware not hardware – we’ve all seen big grey boxes that make scary beeps and clunks, and that’s simply not the future we want to build. We need colour, things that make us smile and experiences that delight. So, we think charging will be a little more like grabbing a coffee on-the-go than a dingy petrol station, with drivers heading to spaces that are a genuinely lovely experience to plug in. So, that’s what we’re building!
- Greener grid, cheaper charging – we’ve seen how we can all benefit from cheaper electricity at home from shifting usage to certain times, and we know that as the grid decarbonises, we’ll have more green electrons to play with at different times of day. So, drivers looking for a bargain will be able to play the electric game a little to grab electrons when they’re cheaper. We’ve kicked this off with Off-Peak pricing overnight, but we anticipate that some drivers will be a lot more dynamic in their patterns to grab a cheaper charge when the wind is blowing strong and the sun is shining bright.
- The next generation of technology – we believe we’re very much in the first wave of the electric revolution, with drivers having to think about battery temperatures, charge curves, system voltages and loads of other waffle. As we head into the future, we’re seeing and will continue to see EVs and their chargers get smarter, simpler and friendlier for everyone to use. Whether that’s wireless charging, Vehicle-to-Grid or megawatt-level power – networks like us will be building better and more personalised experiences for everyone.
How are you making the charging experience simple for drivers across the UK?
We know that especially the older parts of our network haven’t been everything drivers want, so there are a few different areas where we’ve been able to make charging simpler and easier over the past year
- More ways to pay – yay! It’s simple, drivers aren’t looking for chargers and fiddling in the rain with how to pay any more, they’re choosing a payment method they love and choosing chargers that fit their life accordingly. So, we’ve put a lot of work integrating with pretty much every roaming partner there is (with a few more in the works too!) to open up easy charging to everyone.
- Charging Hub all-round experience – charging isn’t just about the plug and power, it’s a whole lot more. For our newest waves of charging locations, we’ve put a lot of work into the whole charging experience – from nice wide bays with simple icons, helpful signage, characterful Powerbanks wraps, a reliable and helpful app and more. Every touch point is an opportunity for us to delight, and we’re by no means done in creating great charging experiences (both in person and digitally).
- Awesome chargers! We’ve had some amazing feedback around our Kempower chargers, with how user friendly, reliable and easy they are to charge. We’ve even added some useful Be.EV additions to how they work, all in the name of simpler, easier charging.
- Step-by-step. We know that there are a lot of chargers that all seem to work a little differently. So, we’ve done a lot of revisiting to ensure our chargers are simple to use. Lots of trips with our older parents, friends and family (EV drivers and not) to pop them in front of a charger and see how they find it. Then, we’ve added clearer How-Tos, helpful notes on things like ways to pay, charging speed and connectors: all helping to make charging a little more seamless, bit-by-bit.
What can electric car drivers expect from Be.EV in the next six months?
The work never stops on new locations and upgrading the experience at every location already live.
We’ve got our new flagship Charging Oasis powering-up in Manchester at the start of 2025, where we’ve regenerated an old petrol station into our vision of an electric paradise of sorts. This means over a dozen ultra-rapid bays, an on-site café, loads of greenery and some charming touches to make it unmistakably Be.EV.
We’ll also be deploying some fun new features for drivers feedback, and whilst we don’t want to spoil the surprise just yet, you can look forward to stress free charge stop planning with a spot waiting for you, and an exploration into the world of frictionless EV charging…
And last but not least, we’ll be saying hello to big green Hubs in the Scottish Central Belt, the lights of London and everywhere in between. Get ready for dozens and dozens of more ultra-rapid, unmistakably-green Be.EV bays all over the UK!
What would be your question for the next CPO we speak to?
What role do you think the government should play in helping to expand charging networks?
