At COP26 in Glasgow, sustainable energy company Gridserve announced plans to extend its hybrid solar and battery farms and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to partners globally.

For those interested in accelerating net zero transport initiatives, the extensions to the UK firm’s sun-to-wheel ecosystem aim to speed up the global rollout of EV charging infrastructure powered by net zero carbon sustainable energy.

“Gridserve’s mission is to help deliver sustainable energy on the scale needed to move the needle on climate change,” said Toddington Harper, CEO of Gridserve. “In the UK, we are delivering this vision at an extraordinary pace, building a sun-to-wheel ecosystem of hybrid solar and battery farms, high-power EV chargers, and electric vehicle leasing supported by customer experience technology that is decarbonising the UK’s transport system and giving drivers everywhere the confidence to go electric sooner than anyone could have imagined only a few years ago.”

However, he said to be serious about addressing the climate crisis, there was a need to think and act on a global scale.

“That’s why at COP26 we are launching the Gridserve partner network to share our knowledge, expertise and experience from delivering and operating the leading charging network in the UK, to help like-minded partners to also rapidly deliver the best possible EV charging networks at scale across the world,” he said.

In five years since being established, Gridserve has delivered what it claims is the UK’s most comprehensive EV charging network. The company also builds and operates hybrid solar and battery farms, which generate close to 100 million kWhs of zero carbon energy each year, and provide net zero carbon energy to its charging network, which serves 85% of the UK’s motorway network as well as towns and cities across the UK.

The company opened the world’s first electric forecourt in December 2020 in Braintree and plans to open several more in the next 12 months, starting with Norwich, Gatwick, Gateshead and Uckfield. More than 100 electric forecourts are planned as part of a more than £1bn investment programme. More than 50 additional electric hubs, each featuring six to twelve 350kW chargers, are also being built across the UK in a separate £100m rollout, with the first site opened at Rugby Services earlier this year and several additional sites under construction.

Supported by Hitachi Capital and TPG’s Rise Fund, Gridserve has invested millions of pounds into research and development to deliver and operate net zero electric charging infrastructure that is functional, reliable and easy to use.

“Our partnership with Gridserve has been a total game-changer for electric mobility in the UK,” said Robert Gordon, CEO of Hitachi Capital in the UK. “Not only are we providing electric vehicles at some of the most competitive rates on the market, but we are at the same time developing a network of rapid, reliable and renewably powered EV charging infrastructure that will fast-track the electric vehicle revolution. We’re incredibly excited to support Gridserve in its next phase of growth as it launches the partner network to export its unique expertise across the world and help like-minded partners everywhere to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change.”

Gridserve has developed relationships with charging hardware providers ABB and Tritium, and amassed experience in planning, development, procurement, construction, operation, maintenance and management of large-scale electric vehicle charging hubs.

Gridserve is already in discussions with international petrol forecourt operators, landowners and investors to deploy its infrastructure, and used the platform created by COP26 to reach out to others to raise awareness about the partner network and to commence discussions.

In addition to leasing land and investing its own capital in building and operating its EV charging infrastructure, the partner network provides the opportunity for partners to invest themselves, or co-invest alongside Gridserve, to establish their own EV charging networks, providing flexibility without having to build an entire tech-enabled EV charging business.

“Everything we have achieved in the UK has required us to overcome massive complexities and challenges, experience we’ve spent years developing,” said Harper. “It’s now time to share those learnings with partners across the world and accelerate the shift to net zero transport. Our partner network allows us to do just that, enabling others to capitalise on our market-leading EV charging within their own networks and geographies.”