Daily EV news · UK · 13 October 2026
EV Charging
VCHRGD wins exclusive home charging deal with Carwow Leasey for lease and salary sacrifice customers
VCHRGD has secured an exclusive partnership with Carwow Leasey to supply discounted home charger installation packages for customers leasing electric vehicles or taking them through salary sacrifice schemes. The deal includes a co-branded customer journey with remote home surveys, app-based charging controls, smart tariff integration and solar compatibility where available. Paul Sweeney, Head of Sales at Carwow Leasey, said the partnership provides dedicated charging support for all customer types, from salary sacrifice to personal and business lease.
Why it matters
The exclusive arrangement gives VCHRGD access to Carwow Leasey's entire EV lease and salary sacrifice customer base, a growing procurement channel as fleet electrification accelerates. For CPOs and installers, it highlights how leasing platforms are bundling home charging into vehicle propositions, potentially locking out competitors from high volume customer pipelines.
Source adds UK fleet charging sites to Shell Card roaming network
UK charge point operator Source has partnered with Shell Fleet Solutions to add its DC fast charging hubs to the Shell Card roaming network, which gives fleet customers access to more than 72,000 public EV charge points in the UK. Source plans to open 300 fast charging hubs in the UK and Ireland by 2030, with all sites featuring chargers of at least 150 kW capacity and powered by renewable energy. The company has added more than half a dozen roaming partners since opening its first hub just over a year ago.
Why it matters
The deal expands fleet charging access through a major payment network and signals Source's rapid roaming integration strategy, adding commercial scale to its 300 site pipeline. For procurement teams, the partnership demonstrates how newer CPOs are securing fleet business by plugging into established card schemes rather than relying solely on proprietary apps.
Source · Shell Card · Source
South Kesteven Council to assess car parks for additional EV charging points
South Kesteven District Council has instructed officers to evaluate all council owned car parks for the feasibility of installing more EV charging points to meet rising demand. The authority currently operates 20 EV charging spaces across its car parks, maintained by contractor Evolt Charging Ltd. Councillors at a scrutiny meeting on 12 October suggested expanding the assessment to include leisure centre car parks, with the installations to be delivered and maintained by an external contractor.
Why it matters
The feasibility study signals a potential procurement opportunity for charge point operators and installers in the South Kesteven district, with councillors viewing additional infrastructure as both a demand response and a revenue generation measure for the local authority.
Wiltshire Council plans 2,000 charging points with £10m investment targeting residents without home charging
Wiltshire Council has announced plans to install up to 2,000 new EV charging points across the county, backed by £10m in funding comprising £3.9m from government and a potential £6.1m in private investment. The scheme will prioritise residents without off street parking, addressing what Councillor Martin Smith described as a major barrier to EV uptake in the region.
Why it matters
The project signals a significant on street charging procurement opportunity in Wiltshire, with the public and private funding split likely to attract CPO bids for residential focused infrastructure deployment at scale.
Electric Vehicles
Nottingham City Transport deploys first six electric double-deckers with £4.5m EMCCA backing
Nottingham City Transport has taken delivery of six Wrightbus StreetDeck Electroliner Gen 2.0 electric double-deckers, its first zero emission double-deck buses, following completion of a 62 vehicle electric single-deck rollout. The Mayor of the East Midlands and East Midlands Combined County Authority contributed £4.5m towards the double-deckers, which feature a 442kWh powertrain and up to 275 miles of range. Energy partner VEV has completed overnight charging infrastructure at NCT's Parliament Street garage, with further electric double-deckers due before Christmas to bring the zero emission fleet to 93 vehicles, representing about one-third of the total fleet.
Why it matters
The deployment demonstrates scaled depot charging infrastructure delivery by VEV and signals continued public procurement momentum for electric double-deck buses in UK cities, with EMCCA funding enabling fleet electrification beyond initial single-deck phases. The 442kWh battery specification and overnight charging model provide a reference point for operators planning similar double-deck conversions.
Volvo EX30 Cargo approved for £2,500 Zero Emission Van Grant, lowering entry price to £33,529
Volvo's electric EX30 Cargo van has secured approval for the UK Government's Zero Emission Van Grant (ZEVG), reducing its on the road price to £33,529 after a £2,500 discount. The car derived van, converted from the EX30 compact SUV, offers a 390kg payload and 1,000 litre load capacity, and is sold exclusively through Volvo's fleet sales channels. Both the standard EX30 Cargo and the Cross Country Cargo variant with increased ground clearance are now eligible for the grant.
Why it matters
The ZEVG approval makes electric commercial vehicles more accessible to UK fleets and businesses, potentially accelerating workplace and depot charging infrastructure demand. Lower upfront costs for electric vans can drive procurement decisions towards zero emission fleets, expanding the addressable market for charge point operators serving commercial customers.
Aion unveils UT Cross and GS7 SUV ahead of 2027 UK launch
Aion has revealed the electric UT Cross and GS7 hybrid SUV at the Paris Motor Show, both scheduled for UK market entry in 2027. The UT Cross shares the standard UT hatchback's 204hp powertrain and 60kWh battery, adding a 20mm lifted ride height and outdoor styling, while the five-seat GS7 will offer hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. The launches form part of Aion's expansion to five UK models within 18 months and eight models by 2030.
Why it matters
The 2027 arrivals signal growing competition in the UK electric and hybrid SUV segments, with the UT Cross targeting the Renault 4 E-Tech market. For charging operators, Aion's expansion to eight models by 2030 represents a new OEM entering the UK fleet mix, potentially influencing charging infrastructure demand and partnership opportunities.
BYD launches Atto 2 DM-i plug-in hybrid SUV from £26,995 in UK
BYD has introduced the Atto 2 DM-i, a plug-in hybrid version of its smallest SUV, starting at £26,995 OTR in the UK. The five-seat PHEV emits 33g/km CO2 in Active trim or 13g/km in Boost trim, with combined fuel economy of 55 mpg under WLTP testing. The model joins the existing battery-electric Atto 2 launched last year, offering fleet buyers a stepping stone to full electrification.
Why it matters
The sub-£27,000 PHEV entry point and low CO2 figures (13g/km in Boost trim) position the Atto 2 DM-i competitively for UK fleet procurement, particularly where charging infrastructure or driver range anxiety remain barriers to full battery-electric adoption. BYD's dual powertrain strategy in the Atto range signals how Chinese OEMs are hedging against slower EV uptake by offering plug-in hybrid alternatives that still require workplace and depot charging infrastructure.
Fleet manager cites range anxiety and engineer workflow as barriers to electric van adoption
A UK fleet manager overseeing field engineers who install and service machinery has outlined concerns about switching from diesel to electric light commercial vehicles. While acknowledging lower running costs and environmental benefits, the manager highlights that engineers work unpredictable long days, require quick refuelling to maintain customer commitments, and currently fill diesel vans in minutes without needing frequent stops. The manager worries that electric van range and charging time could disrupt service delivery and customer satisfaction.
Why it matters
The account illustrates a common procurement hesitation in commercial fleets with mobile workforces: charging infrastructure and vehicle range remain perceived obstacles to eLCV deployment, particularly where uptime and schedule certainty are critical to customer service contracts.
Scotland launches ScotVolt tool for fleet operators to plan electric HGV charging infrastructure
Transport Scotland has opened testing of ScotVolt, an interactive dashboard developed by Heriot-Watt University and The Centre for Sustainable Road Freight, to help truck operators plan the shift from diesel to electric HGVs. The tool uses data from around 80,000 real truck journeys in Scotland to model routing and charging scenarios, identifying where electric HGV chargers would be needed, their electricity demand, and local grid capacity. The initiative follows the HGV Decarbonisation Pathway for Scotland published in March 2024, with truck fleet owners, hauliers, delivery companies and logistics firms now invited to test the tool against their own routes and provide feedback.
Why it matters
The tool provides fleet operators and charge point operators with data driven insights into where HGV charging infrastructure will be needed across Scotland, helping to de risk investment decisions and align deployment with actual freight routes and grid capacity. By modelling real journey data from 80,000 trips, ScotVolt offers a practical planning resource for the emerging heavy duty charging market as operators prepare for the transition to zero emission freight.
Grid & Energy
Four firms win contracts for three BESS projects totalling circa £50 million in Scotland and Surrey
Root-Power has appointed four engineering and building firms to deliver three battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities in Scotland and Surrey, with a combined value of circa £50 million and construction starting over the next 18 months. Steve Morgan Associates will provide civil and structural engineering consultancy for a 34MW BESS at Dounreay near Thurso, while Hedigan Construction has secured the contract for a 12MW facility in Caterham near Surrey expected to supply power to around 24,000 homes. A third 50MW BESS in the Broomloan area of Glasgow is currently procuring a UK based civil engineering contractor for site preparation and trenching.
Why it matters
These contracts signal active procurement opportunities in the BESS sector, which underpins grid stability for EV charging infrastructure as the UK pursues Clean Power 2030 reforms. Firms delivering civil engineering, site preparation and structural design for large scale battery storage may find parallel opportunities in the EV charging rollout, where similar groundworks and grid connection expertise are required.
Living Lab data shows 48% EV uptake shifts peak demand to overnight, doubling traditional evening peak
Energy Systems Catapult's Living Lab analysis of 854 homes found that at around 48% EV uptake, the largest daily electricity demand spike moved from early evening to the middle of the night due to cheap overnight EV tariffs. At this adoption level, the new overnight peak is twice as large as the traditional early evening peak. The research, which uses real homes with EVs to simulate higher adoption scenarios, highlights how overnight charging strategies that work at lower adoption rates may strain local grids as EV numbers grow beyond the current two million battery electric cars in use in the UK.
Why it matters
Fleet operators relying on overnight charging strategies may face local grid capacity constraints as EV adoption scales, requiring network reinforcement or demand flexibility measures. The findings suggest procurement teams should factor in potential grid upgrade costs or smart charging requirements when planning depot charging infrastructure.