Henderson Group and bp pulse have signed a partnership agreement to install ultra-rapid charging for up to 200 electric vehicles (EVs) at around 100 Henderson Retail sites across Northern Ireland within the next two years.
Over 40 charge point connectors are already available to EV drivers at Henderson Retail sites across Northern Ireland, at 17 bp SPAR sites as well as at four Henderson Retail SPAR sites.
Each new charge point will have two connectors – one delivering 150kW and the other 100kW.
“The demand for ultra-fast charging points in Northern Ireland is high,” said Ron Whitten, Chief Financial Officer at Henderson Group.
“Current figures from the Department for Transport show there are currently around 18,762 ultra-low emission vehicles registered in the region, an increase of 55% in the past two years alone.
“This steep trajectory of the volume of electric vehicles on the road is only going to continue, yet Northern Ireland has just 60 ultra-fast charge points in operation,”
“Henderson Retail operates over 100 busy stores, 81 of which have fuel forecourts in Northern Ireland, used frequently by those on the go throughout the day.
“We are making considered, positive steps in line with consumer behaviour and working with bp pulse to install ultra-fast chargers at our sites which will give EV drivers the opportunity to charge at a location that is convenient to their journey.”
Thanks to a Live Data partnership with Zapmap, users of the Zapmap app and desktop map can search for bp pulse charge points and access live status and availability data, making planning your charging stops simpler.
“Fast, reliable charging in convenient locations is essential to give drivers the confidence to switch to electric vehicles,” said Akira Kirton CEO, bp pulse UK.
“Working with Henderson Group, a retail network that dominates the market in Northern Ireland, we have the opportunity and aspiration to create one of the largest networks of ultra-fast and rapid charging points – meeting the rise in demand for now and in the future.”
bp plans to invest up to £18 billion in the UK energy system by 2030, this includes up to £1 billion for EV charging infrastructure.
“The Electric Vehicle Association NI welcomes today’s announcement from Henderson Group and bp pulse,” said Mark McCall co-founder of the Electric Vehicle Association NI.
“This significant investment aims to bring over 200 direct current ultra-fast and rapid chargers to retail destinations across NI, making it easier and more convenient to drive an electric vehicle in Northern Ireland.”
