BP Pulse pulls out of workplace charging sector
BP Pulse has said it will honour all existing agreements with its customers, including installations, warranties, as well as service and maintenance agreements. For example, in December, BP Pulse announced it had signed an infrastructure agreement with DPD which saw BP upgrade the logistic firm’s existing EV charging infrastructure. This included the upgrade and retrofit of more than 31 sites across the UK in locations such as Edinburgh, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Middleton.
So, presumably, BP Pulse will continue to serve companies such as DPD with these locations – and indeed, it has confirmed that its fleet customers will be able to continue using BP’s fuel and charge card to access BP Pulse charging hubs. However, it will no longer take on new UK customers, meaning its workplace charging business will not grow any further for the foreseeable future.
A BP Pulse spokesperson told Fleet News it is aiming to deliver a “simpler, more focused and higher value company”, adding: “At BP Pulse, which is part of PC, we are constantly assessing opportunities to improve our competitive position and better serve our customers […] We’ll continue to focus on building on-the-go electric vehicles (EV)) charging hubs and installing EV charging at our existing BP forecourts.”
BP has not commented as to whether it is seeking a buyer for BP Pulse before wrapping up its workplace charging division. But, Fleet News has argued this could be problematic given that most of BP Pulse’s assets do not appear to use the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), making it difficult for other fleets or suppliers to easily update or maintain the original infrastructure.
One unnamed fleet manager told the publication: “Fleets have to take BP at their word that service levels will be maintained, there will be updates, superb maintenance response and management. If you’re relying on this infrastructure to operate your electric fleet, is that a chance you’re willing to take?”.
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