Simplifying the fleet EV charging process, UK’s Paua establishes 10,000+ charge point network

In late 2020 the UK government made its position clear: we’re going all-in on electric. As of 2030, all new cars and vans sold in the United Kingdom will be sans petrol or diesel-powered, and by 2035 the sale of new hybrid-powered cars and vans will be a thing of the past.

According to UK government research conducted in June of 2019, more than half of the 3,500 individuals surveyed indicated recharging (including ‘where/how to charge’; ‘not enough charging points’; and ‘time taken to recharge’) as a concern.

Now imagine how this concern can grow exponentially for anyone, or in the case of Paua, any organisation, driving more than one vehicle. Or hundreds.

While the number of EV charge points across the UK has grown steadily since 2016, so too have the headaches for commercial EV fleet managers. 

Having headed up EDF Energy’s EV fleet, Paua co-founder and CEO Niall Riddell knows all too well the troubles involved with keeping a non-fossil fuel burning fleet running. It was here where Riddel struck upon the idea of establishing a network of providers that would all operate under one umbrella, providing access to any number of charge points, and delivering one bill at the end of the month.

Having recently inked partnership deals with leading charge point providers including Osprey, Fastned, Ionity, Connected Kerb, Char.gy, and Mer, Paua claims to have established the UK’s largest independent EV roaming network for business, with its service accepted at over 10,000 charge points. 

At the time of publication, Paua lists that its services are active at  2,882 locations, accounting for some 5,603 charge points, with 5,000 more coming soon.

“We’ve now developed the UK’s largest business network for electric vehicle charge points. The reason for our success comes down to the fact that we provide a great value-add for our customers, as we make EV fleet admin simple. We provide a great way for the UK’s public charge point networks to connect with historically under-served business customers,” commented Riddell.

Paua is backed by Seedcamp, Speedinvest, Octopus Ventures, and angel investors including former directors from RWE, Ovo, and SSE.