BP Pulse explained

Chargemaster Limited
Type:Subsidiary
Key People:David Martell (CEO)
Location:Linford Wood, Milton Keynes, England
Industry:Electric vehicles
Products:Electric vehicle charging infrastructure
Num Employees:200 (2017)
Parent:BP
Founded:2008

Chargemaster Limited (branded as bp pulse, formerly BP Chargemaster, chargemaster, POLAR and Polar Plus) is a supplier of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, based in Milton Keynes, England. It provides charging units for home, business and public use, and operates its own electric vehicle fast charging network.

Chargemaster was the first company to manufacture electric vehicle rapid chargers in the UK.[1] [2], the company had supplied more than 30,000 charging points for electric vehicle drivers' homes[3] and more than 10,000 public and commercially operated charging points.[4]

The company was founded in 2008 by entrepreneur David Martell. In June 2018, BP announced that it had entered into an agreement to buy Chargemaster for £130m,[5] with the company to be rebranded BP Chargemaster.[6] Further rebranding to 'bp pulse' took place in December 2020.

History

Chargemaster was founded in Luton in 2008 by David Martell, the founder and former CEO of Trafficmaster.[7] Shareholders included the venture capital arm of BMW, BMW i Ventures,[8] and technology company Qualcomm.[9]

The company launched its POLAR network of public charging points in 2011.[10] By 2017, the network had over 5,000 public charging points,[11] just under 40% of the total of more than 13,000 charging points in the UK.[12]

In 2012, Chargemaster announced its involvement in a trial of wireless charging for electric vehicles in London, in partnership with Qualcomm.[13] Growth capital, initially £3 million, was invested by Beringea in 2014.[14] [15]

Chargemaster launched its POLAR Plus subscription scheme in 2015, allowing members to pay a monthly fee for access to its public charging network, with points earned each time a member uses a public charging point, which could be traded for a week-long experience in one of a fleet of electric vehicles operated by Chargemaster, including a BMW i8 and a Tesla Model S.[16]

Chargemaster acquired Hereford-based GB Electrical, a national electrical contractor specialising in the installation of electric vehicle charging points, in 2015.[17] The business had been working with Chargemaster since 2013 and is an authorised installer of charging points installed under both the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme and the Workplace Charging Scheme, administered by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.[18] [19] Following the acquisition, Chargemaster announced a £15 million investment in its charging network to create 2,000 new charging points, which would include new ways to access the points, including contactless payments, alongside existing access methods of RFID cards and smartphone apps.[20]

In 2017, the company acquired the electric vehicle charging point supplier Elektromotive, including its charging network management subsidiary, Charge Your Car,[21] to form the UK's largest electric vehicle infrastructure provider.[22] [23]

After being acquired by BP in 2018, the company's legal name changed from Chargemaster plc to Chargemaster Limited.[24] Martell retained a board position until June 2019.[25] Later that year, the company moved from Luton to newly built headquarters in the Linford Wood area of Milton Keynes.[26] In December 2020, the POLAR and Chargemaster brands were replaced by 'bp pulse'.[27]

Chargemaster has been listed in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 list of top performing British companies since 2014.[28]

Products

Charging units

Chargemaster supplies wall-mounted charging points and floor-standing charging posts with AC power ratings of 3.6 kW, 7.2 kW and 22 kW, and floor-standing rapid chargers, with power ratings of 43kW AC and 50kW DC. The 3.6 kW and 7.2 kW charging units require a minimum single-phase electricity supply. The 22 kW and rapid charging units require a three-phase electricity supply.

Chargemaster launched a new rapid charger in 2015, which is produced in its Milton Keynes factory. The Chargemaster 'Ultracharge' unit features a 50 kW-rated chademo connector, a 43kW-rated AC Type 2 connector and a 50 kW-rated CCS connector.[29]

Chargemaster installed their first 150 kW rapid charger in 2019; these chargers are supplied by ABB and feature both CHAdeMO and CCS connectors. Chargemaster aims to have 400 of these chargers at BP forecourts.[30]

Home charging

Chargemaster has partnerships to provide home charging units for owners of electric vehicles made by several manufacturers, including BMW, Kia, Mercedes-Benz,[31] Mitsubishi,[32] Nissan,[33] Renault,[34] and Toyota.[35]

The company is also the home charging partner for The London Taxi Company and provides charging units for drivers of its TX eCity plug-in hybrid taxi.[36]

The company's home charging units are approved by the UK government's Office for Zero Emission Vehicles[37] and are eligible for the government's Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme, which provides funding of up to 75% (capped at £350) towards the cost of installing electric vehicle charge points at domestic properties across the UK.[38]

Workplace charging

Chargemaster supplies charge points to workplaces, including supermarkets,[39] local authorities[40] and other businesses.[41]

The company's workplace charging units are approved by the UK government's Office for Zero Emission Vehicles[42] and are eligible for the government's Workplace Charging Scheme, which subsidises the cost of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charge points, for eligible businesses, charities and public sector organisations.[43]

Public sector charging

Chargemaster has installed over 600 charge points for more than 50 local authorities.

In 2016, Chargemaster was awarded a £2.3 million contract to provide additional charging points in Milton Keynes, including for two new petrol-station-style rapid charging hubs.[44]

In 2017, Chargemaster was awarded a contract to supply its Ultracharge rapid charger under a transport for london contract to provide public rapid charging points for The London Taxi Company's forthcoming TX eCity plug-in hybrid taxi.[45] The £18 million Transport for London project aimed to create a network of 300 rapid charging points in London by 2020.[46]

Brands

Pulse public charging network

The company operates 'bp pulse', one of the largest electric vehicle charging networks in the UK., the network has over 8,000 charge points[47] of which over 3,000 are described as "high speed".[48] The network is accessible via either a pay-as-you-go 'instant access' scheme or a monthly subscription scheme, with charging points accessed via an RFID card or fob.[49] Prior to December 2020, the schemes were marketed as 'POLAR Instant' and 'POLAR Plus' respectively.[50] [51]

Owners of BMW i models can access the network through membership of the BMW i ChargeNow service.[52]

Charge Your Car

The Charge Your Car subsidiary provides "back office" services to charge point owners, in many cases local authorities. CYC handles user registration and billing, and provides a map of charge points, but does not own or maintain the equipment.[53]

Electric Vehicle Experience Centre

In 2017, Chargemaster won the contract from Milton Keynes Council to operate the UK's first multi-brand electric car showroom, the Electric Vehicle Experience Centre, as part of the UK government’s Go Ultra Low Cities programme.[54] [55] [56]

Partnerships

Chargemaster has partnerships with car manufacturers, hotels, supermarkets and motor industry organisations, including: The AA,[57] Q Park,[58] Waitrose,[59] and Accor for its Novotel and Ibis hotel brands.[60]

Chargemaster installed 78 charge points for the London Fire Brigade, the majority of which are accessible by its staff, but nine of which (at Croydon, East Ham, Edmonton, Finchley, Hainault, Harold Hill, Hornsey, Ilford and New Malden fire stations) are publicly accessible.[61]

The company is the official supplier of charging infrastructure to the FIA Formula E electric motor racing series. Chargemaster facilitates wireless charging of the official course cars, including the BMW i8 safety car and the BMW i3 medical car.[62] [63]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Chargemaster increase factory capacity and release new fast charge unit. 7 August 2017. Zap Map. 21 November 2014 .
  2. Web site: Unveil for UK's first home-made EV charger. Intelligent Mobility Insight. 7 August 2017.
  3. Web site: Reliability begins at home. The Electric Taxi. 7 August 2017.
  4. Web site: 10,000th EV charging point installed by Chargemaster. Zap Map. 27 June 2014 . 7 August 2017.
  5. News: BP buys UK's largest car charging firm Chargemaster . BBC News . 28 June 2018 . 28 June 2018.
  6. Web site: BP to acquire the UK's largest electric vehicle charging company . . 28 June 2018.
  7. Web site: Chargemaster. Fast Track. 7 August 2017.
  8. Web site: BMW will invest in electric car charging company. 7 August 2017. Automotive News.
  9. Web site: Qualcomm invests in Chargemaster to deploy wireless charging in UK. 7 August 2017. Charged EVs. 12 December 2014 .
  10. Web site: Chargemaster to unveil 4,000 electric car charging points. The Telegraph. 20 July 2011 . 7 August 2017.
  11. Web site: Chargemaster to invest £15 million in EV charging network. Fleet News. 7 August 2017.
  12. Web site: Charging Point Statistics 2017. Zap Map. 7 August 2017.
  13. Web site: Europe's biggest wireless charging trial begins in London. The Engineer. 7 August 2017.
  14. Web site: 2014-07-14. Beringea Invest £3million in Chargemaster. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200929051840/https://www.autovolt-magazine.com/beringea-invest-3million-chargemaster/ . 29 September 2020 . 2020-08-16. Autovolt Magazine. en-GB.
  15. Web site: 4 September 2018. Proven VCTs successfully sell stake in Chargemaster as part of BP acquisition. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211106114805/https://www.provenvcts.co.uk/news-media/pressreleasedetail/118/2018 . 6 November 2021 . 2020-08-16. ProVen VCT.
  16. Web site: 'Netflix for EVs' offers FREE loan of a BMW i8. Motoring Research. 7 August 2017.
  17. Web site: Electrical company switches owners. Worcester News. 8 July 2015 . 7 August 2017.
  18. Web site: Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme: list of installers. Office for Low Emission Vehicles. 7 August 2017.
  19. Web site: Workplace Charging Scheme authorised installers. Office for Low Emission Vehicles. 7 August 2017.
  20. Web site: Chargemaster to add 2,000 additional charging points to Polar network. Fleet News. 7 August 2017.
  21. Web site: Chargemaster / Elektromotive merger inquiry. 7 August 2017. GOV.UK. 3 March 2017 .
  22. Web site: Zap-Map adds dynamic data across Chargemaster's POLAR EV charging network. 7 August 2017. Traffic Technology Today.
  23. Web site: Puddicombe. Daniel. 23 January 2017. Chargemaster acquires EV infrastructure company. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170808233437/http://www.businesscar.co.uk/news/2017/chargemaster-acquires-ev-infrastructure-company . 8 August 2017 . 7 August 2017. BusinessCar.
  24. Web site: CHARGEMASTER LIMITED. 2020-01-21. Companies House. en.
  25. Web site: David Kenneth MARTELL – Personal Appointments. 2020-08-16. Companies House. en.
  26. Web site: 3 July 2019. BP Chargemaster to move HQ to Milton Keynes. 2020-08-16. Insider Media Ltd. en.
  27. Web site: 2020-12-03. Introducing bp pulse. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201203090941/https://bpchargemaster.com/introducing-bp-pulse/ . 3 December 2020 . 2020-12-16. BP Chargemaster. en-GB.
  28. Web site: Chargemaster. Fast Track. 7 August 2017.
  29. Web site: Ultracharger launched by Chargemaster. Zap Map. 10 September 2015 . 7 August 2017.
  30. Web site: Chargemaster. 2019-08-15. BP Chargemaster previews first 150kW charger site. 2020-12-16. bp pulse. en-GB.
  31. Web site: Mercedes-Benz partners with Chargemaster for home charging solution. GreenFleet. 7 August 2017.
  32. Web site: Buy a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and get a free home charger. Motoring Research. 7 August 2017.
  33. Web site: Chargemaster and Pod Point to provide free home charging unit for Leaf finance purchases. Fleet News. 7 August 2017.
  34. Web site: Renault Zoe Plugs In With Chargemaster. Optimum Fleet. 7 August 2017.
  35. Web site: Chargemaster – The perfect partner for Prius Plug-in. Toyota. 7 August 2017.
  36. Web site: Chargemaster wins London Taxi Company's homecharging contract. SMMT. 30 May 2017 . 7 August 2017.
  37. Web site: Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme approved chargepoint model list – GOV.UK. 2020-12-16. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. en.
  38. Web site: Grant schemes for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170123200037/https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-grants-for-low-emission-vehicles . 23 January 2017 . 16 August 2020. Office for Low Emission Vehicles.
  39. Web site: Charging ahead with Electric Vehicles. Waitrose. 7 August 2017.
  40. Web site: More council car charge points in West Suffolk. 7 August 2017. Bury Free Press. 7 July 2017 .
  41. Web site: Alphabet powers growth in electric mobility with Chargemaster. Business Car Manager. 7 August 2017.
  42. Web site: Workplace Charging Scheme approved chargepoint list – GOV.UK. 2020-12-16. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. en.
  43. Web site: OLEV releases details of new workplace electric vehicle charging scheme. Clean Energy News. 7 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170808234006/https://www.cleanenergynews.co.uk/news/transport/olev-releases-details-of-new-workplace-electric-vehicle-charging-scheme. 8 August 2017. dead.
  44. Web site: Milton Keynes awards £2.3 million contract to increase EV charging infrastructure. Clean Energy News. 7 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170808235214/https://www.cleanenergynews.co.uk/news/transport/milton-keynes-awards-2.3-million-contract-to-increase-ev-charging-infrastru. 8 August 2017. dead.
  45. Web site: Chargemaster to provide Ultracharge units for London taxis under TfL contract. Fleet Magazine. 7 August 2017.
  46. Web site: TfL drives forward £18 million electric vehicle scheme. Transport for London. 7 August 2017.
  47. Web site: Polar Plus – the UK's largest public charging network . 2024-06-21 . bp pulse . en-GB.
  48. Web site: Roberts . Gareth . 21 December 2023 . BP Pulse more than doubles number of ultra-fast charge points . 2024-06-21 . FleetNews . en.
  49. Web site: bp pulse. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210307210549/https://www.zap-map.com/charge-points/public-charging-point-networks/bp-pulse/ . 7 March 2021 . 2020-12-05. Zap-Map. en-US.
  50. Web site: Polar network. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20200927103719/https://www.zap-map.com/charge-points/public-charging-point-networks/polar-network/. 27 September 2020. Zap-Map.
  51. Web site: Shanahan. Jess. 2020-12-03. bp pulse: the new name for bp Chargemaster and Polar. 2020-12-05. Zap-Map. en-US.
  52. Web site: ChargeNow. 7 August 2017.
  53. Web site: Lilly. Chris. 27 May 2020. Charge Your Car network. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200504183756/https://www.zap-map.com/charge-points/public-charging-point-networks/charge-your-car-network/ . 4 May 2020 . 2020-08-16. Zap-Map. en-US.
  54. Web site: Go Ultra Low Cities winners announced. Go Ultra Low. 7 August 2017.
  55. Web site: Chargemaster to run EV Experience Centre in Milton Keynes. Next Green Car. 7 August 2017.
  56. Web site: Milton Keynes' EV charging infrastructure to be expanded. Adjacent Open Access. 7 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170809003431/http://www.adjacentopenaccess.org/rail-road-air-transport-news/milton-keynes-ev-charging-infrastructure/30548/. 9 August 2017. dead.
  57. Web site: AA and Chargemaster partner to encourage EV uptake. BusinessCar. 5 July 2016 . 7 August 2017.
  58. Web site: Chargemaster Ultracharger units installed at London Q Park sites. Zap Map. 11 November 2016 . 7 August 2017.
  59. Web site: Waitrose to install electric charging stations. Fleet News. 7 August 2017.
  60. Web site: Accor to roll out electric car charging at UK hotels. Big Hospitality. 18 December 2015 . 7 August 2017.
  61. Web site: London Fire Brigade opens vehicle charge points. Air Quality News. 7 August 2017.
  62. Web site: Chargemaster becomes official charging infrastructure supplier to Formula E. FIA Formula E. 7 August 2017.
  63. Web site: Chargemaster To Power Formula E As Official Charging Infrastructure Supplier. Inside EVs. 7 August 2017.