Daily EV news · UK · 12 October 2026
EV Charging
Jumptech wins Volkswagen Financial Services UK employee home charging contract
UK software provider Jumptech will operate a whitelabel platform for Volkswagen Financial Services UK (VWFS) employees to browse, select and arrange installation of home EV charging hardware. VWFS will gain visibility over installations, with the partnership intended to lay the groundwork for future funding solutions and energy partner collaborations beyond charger installation, according to James Taylor, head of partnerships at VWFS.
Why it matters
The deal signals corporate appetite for managed employee charging programmes and positions Jumptech's platform model as a route to market for hardware suppliers and installers. VWFS's stated ambition to expand into funding and energy partnerships suggests a pipeline of ancillary procurement opportunities in the domestic charging ecosystem.
Royal London Asset Management Property awards 20 year EV charging hub contract to The EV Network across 18 UK retail parks
Royal London Asset Management Property has selected The EV Network (EVN) following a competitive tender to design, build, operate and maintain EV charging hubs across 18 retail park sites in the UK under a 20 year contract. The majority of hubs will feature Alpitronic ultra rapid 300 and 400 kW chargers, with first energised sites expected in Q2 2027. Syzygy Consulting advised Royal London Asset Management Property on the procurement.
Why it matters
This multi site retail park rollout demonstrates how institutional property investors are embedding EV infrastructure into long term asset strategies, creating a substantial pipeline for charge point operators and equipment suppliers. The 20 year contract term and competitive tender process signal maturing procurement practices in the destination charging sector.
UK councils can remove pavement charging cables under Highway Act, drivers warned
Car insurance experts at Quotezone.co.uk have warned UK electric vehicle drivers without driveways that running charging cables across public footpaths may require council permission and can be removed by authorities under the Highway Act if deemed dangerous. Rule 239 of the Highway Code, updated in 2022, requires drivers to park close to charge points, avoid creating trip hazards with trailing cables, and display warning signs. The guidance highlights risks including pedestrian trips, potential legal action, fire hazards from daisy chained cables, and electrocution risks in wet conditions.
Why it matters
The regulatory reminder underscores a persistent infrastructure gap for UK residents without off street parking, a constraint that affects demand forecasting and site selection for public charging networks. Councils' enforcement powers may accelerate pressure for kerbside charging solutions and influence how charge point operators prioritise residential street deployments.
EV Rally Cymru to test Wales' 3,813 public chargers across 400 mile route in October 2026
Greenfleet will run EV Rally Cymru on 21 to 22 October 2026, sending more than 25 electric vehicles and over 45 participants on a 400 mile journey from South to North Wales. The event will test the Welsh public charging network, which currently comprises 3,813 public EV chargers including more than 800 rapid and ultra rapid units. Transport for Wales returns as headline partner, and the rally will launch from the FSEW e-Freight Hub in Cardiff, Wales' first dedicated electric charging hub for heavy goods vehicles.
Why it matters
The rally offers a real world stress test of Wales' charging infrastructure under coordinated demand, providing procurement teams and charge point operators with performance data across a mix of public and dedicated sites. The event's focus on myth busting and network reliability will generate visibility for infrastructure gaps or successes that may inform future deployment priorities.
Electric Vehicles
ZEHID deploys 240 zero-emission HGVs and 40 charging sites, targeting 300 vehicles by end 2026
Innovate UK and WSP have published the first annual report from the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID), Europe's largest coordinated demonstration of zero-emission heavy goods vehicles weighing 40 tonnes or more. The Department for Transport funded programme has deployed more than 240 battery electric and hydrogen powered trucks across three projects (Electric Freightway, eFreight 2030 and ZENFreight), establishing over 40 charging sites across the UK. By the end of 2026, the programme expects to reach around 300 vehicles and 70 infrastructure sites, with monitoring already recording more than 85,000 trips and 2.2 million miles.
Why it matters
The programme provides real world performance data from commercial freight operations that fleet operators and infrastructure planners need to invest with confidence in zero-emission HGV charging networks. The expansion to 70 sites by 2026 signals growing demand for heavy duty charging infrastructure and offers a blueprint for coordinated deployment at scale.
Leapmotor B03 supermini confirmed for 2027 UK launch with 242 mile range and 133kW charging
Stellantis owned Leapmotor will bring its all electric B03 supermini to the UK in 2027, targeting the Renault 5, VW ID Polo and Hyundai Ioniq 3. The 4,175mm long B03 offers a 53kWh battery with 242 miles of WLTP range, a 194bhp motor delivering 0 to 62mph in 7.6 seconds, and 133kW DC charging for 10% to 80% top ups in 21 minutes. The model sits between the T03 city car and B03X crossover in Leapmotor's lineup and features a 14.6 inch touchscreen with minimal physical controls.
Why it matters
The B03's arrival adds another affordable EV option to the UK supermini segment, intensifying competition for public and workplace charging demand in urban and suburban areas. Its 133kW charging capability and 21 minute rapid charge time will drive requirements for high power charger availability at retail and destination sites where supermini drivers typically stop.
Smart #2 city EV launches under £20,000 with 180 mile range and 65kW charging
Smart unveiled the #2 at the Paris Motor Show, a two seat city car measuring 2,746mm long with a 35.8kWh lithium iron phosphate battery offering 180 miles WLTP range and 65kW maximum charging speed, enabling 10% to 80% top up in 20 minutes. Priced below £20,000, the rear wheel drive model sits alongside the Renault Twingo and new Citroen 2CV in the affordable urban EV segment. The vehicle uses a new Electric Compact Architecture platform and replaces the previous EQ Fortwo, which had a 17.6kWh battery and 90 mile range.
Why it matters
The sub £20,000 price point and compact footprint target urban fleet and car club operators seeking affordable charging infrastructure with lower power requirements, as the 65kW maximum charge rate reduces grid connection costs compared to rapid charging models. The 180 mile range and 20 minute top up time may drive demand for destination and workplace charging in city centres where this vehicle class will concentrate.
Grid & Energy
750 affordable homes in UK now heated by mine water geothermal network
A new energy centre at Seaham Garden Village in the UK is now supplying low carbon heat to around 750 affordable homes using naturally warm mine water pumped from a Durham treatment facility. Energy Live News reported that the network has completed commissioning and is fully operational. The system uses geothermal processes that keep mine water at a relatively constant temperature year round, providing a dependable heat source instead of traditional heating fuel.
Why it matters
The operational mine water heating network demonstrates a replicable model for decarbonising heat in social housing developments, potentially informing procurement specifications for low carbon heating infrastructure at scale. The proven reliability of geothermal mine water as a consistent year round heat source may influence future district heating tenders and public sector energy resilience planning.