French oil giant TotalEnergies has announced that it is partnering with SSE, a UK-based power company in order to launch an electric vehicle (EV) charging company called Source, which will operate in Britain and Ireland.
For the new venture, the two companies will operate approximately 3,000 high power charging points over the next five years, which will equate to 150kW or more and will be distributed across 300 EV hubs.
The fast-charging stations are expected to be able to fully charge an EV battery in up to one hour, due to the use of direct current, instead of alternating current.
The hubs will be located in key areas in and around cities and will be provided with renewable energy from both SSE and TotalEnergies. Many hubs are already under construction with the development research needed for several others well under way.
This move could significantly improve the UK and Ireland’s progress towards green transition goals, as well as boost the adoption of electric vehicles across the countries, since charging point availability as well as the initial cost of an EV still remain key concerns for first-time buyers.
This could also encourage companies and corporations to embrace EV fleets, and provide financial support to employees who want to buy electric vehicles, such as EV salary sacrifice schemes.
The recent introduction of the UK’s zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) law has also left both individuals and companies scrambling to transition to electric vehicles. According to the UK government, 70% of new vans and 80% of new cars sold in Great Britain will be zero emission by 2030, going up to 100% by 2035.
Regarding the partnership, Mathieu Soulas, senior vice president of New Mobilities at TotalEnergies said in a press release: “TotalEnergies is proud to contribute to the development of electric mobility to decarbonise transportation in the UK and Ireland. This is a great opportunity to extend our network in Europe and stake out a key position as a reference high-power charging player.
“We want to offer our customers- passenger cars and fleet alike- a nationwide, ultra-fast and reliable charging service that allows them to travel efficiently with complete peace of mind. This development also contributes to our integrated power strategy in the UK, combining renewable and flexible power generation capacity, trading and marketing of low-carbon electricity available 24 hours a day.”
Neil Kirkby, managing director of Enterprise at SSE also said: “SSE is already playing a leading role in decarbonising the UK and Ireland’s power system, including building the world’s largest offshore wind farm and transforming electricity networks.
“Now this agreement will help accelerate progress towards a decarbonised transport system too, ensuring the vehicles that keep the economy moving can do so in a more sustainable and efficient way.”
TotalEnergies’ offshore wind energy plans in full swing
This latest joint venture is the result of a continuing partnership between the two companies, with them both already working together in Scotland to develop Seagreen, the country’s biggest offshore wind farm.
Other than that, TotalEnergies has also invested heavily in developing offshore wind energy in Germany.
These projects will be carried out in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea and will have an initial term of 25 years, with the option to extend until 35 years. Both the wind farms are expected to produce enough electricity to be used in over 3 million homes.
