Daily EV news · UK · 2 November 2026
EV Charging
UK home seller reports buyers worried about installing an EV charger on a driveway detached from the house
A UK home seller said on the r/HousingUK subreddit that estate agent feedback after viewings showed potential buyers were concerned they could not fit an EV charger because the driveway is not attached to the property. The Reddit thread, reported by The Cool Down, asked whether home charging could become a standard buying criterion alongside features such as driveways and en suite bathrooms. Several posters said the possibility of installing a charger mattered more than whether one was already in place.
Why it matters
Charger installability is starting to show up as a factor in buyer sentiment, which points to growing demand for solutions where off-plot or detached parking makes a standard home install hard. This is anecdotal evidence from a single forum discussion, but it hints at a gap that on-street, shared and neighbourhood charging providers could address.
Bidfood begins electrifying Slough depot with Kempower overhead charging for four loading bays
UK food wholesaler Bidfood, which operates more than 1,200 trucks in the UK, has started electrifying its Slough distribution hub serving Greater London and the Thames Valley. Erinion, a Scania group depot charging specialist and Kempower partner, delivered four overhead Control Units on a gantry with Cable Arms at the loading docks, fed dynamically by a single 600 kW Power Unit, with each unit delivering up to 160 kW. Two electric trucks currently operate at the site, according to a report by Charles Morris on 2 November 2026.
Why it matters
Overhead charging that works during loading stops without using ground space offers a route to retrofit depots not built for EVs, ahead of the UK phase out of sales of HGVs up to 26 tons from 2035 and all new HGVs from 2040. Shared power from one Power Unit across several bays is a design approach worth noting when scoping fleet depot tenders.
Roam Charging offers UK site hosts up to £1,000 per charger to replace ageing EV chargers
UK charging provider Roam Charging is offering new customers cash incentives of £500 for each single-socket charger and £1,000 for each dual-socket charger they replace, provided the organisation signs a long-term lease or other site agreement. Roam removes the qualifying chargers and installs fully managed, OCPP-compliant units, with replacement equipment and standard installation at no cost, and sends the old hardware for WEEE recycling. The offer was reported on 2 November 2026 by Charles Morris, with Roam CEO James Randall citing non-compliant and ageing infrastructure across UK businesses, developments and destinations.
Why it matters
The offer shifts replacement capex onto the CPO and pays the site host to switch, which raises the stakes in competing for sites with legacy hardware. Site owners with faulty or non-compliant chargers now have a funded exit route, while rival operators may need to match the incentive or sharpen their managed service terms.
InstaVolt lets app users transfer charging rewards into Virgin Points at one to one
InstaVolt and Virgin Red announced on 2 November 2026 that drivers can now transfer InstaVolt Miles reward points, known as Volts, into Virgin Points at a rate of one Volt to one Virgin Point. InstaVolt Miles launched in October, enrols all app users automatically and has four tiers paying between one and 15 Volts per £1 spent charging through the app. Volts can alternatively be redeemed as charging credit, with each worth 1p, and the release also promotes 55p per kWh for app users charging between 8pm and 7am.
Why it matters
Loyalty and partner reward schemes are becoming a tool for CPOs to build repeat use and app adoption, which is relevant when benchmarking customer retention offers in tenders and partnerships. The 1p Volt redemption value and tiered earn rates give a reference point for how much value an ultra-rapid network is prepared to return to drivers.
OMODA and JAECOO offer free Octopus home charger or £1,000 public charging credit with E5 purchases
OMODA and JAECOO have partnered with Octopus Energy to give private buyers of a new OMODA E5 or JAECOO E5 in the UK a choice of a free Octopus Energy smart EV charger with standard installation (worth up to £1,029) or £1,000 in public charging credit through the Octopus Electroverse network. The offer applies to eligible orders placed between 9 October 2026 and 31 March 2027 at participating UK retailers. The announcement cites RAC Fuel Watch data putting average unleaded petrol at 174.71 pence per litre in October 2026, and Octopus says home charging can save up to 85% against petrol, depending on tariff, vehicle efficiency and driving habits.
Why it matters
Bundling a home charger or roaming credit at the point of vehicle sale shows OEMs and energy suppliers competing to own the customer's charging relationship, which could shift home charger demand towards Octopus hardware. The £1,000 Electroverse credit also steers public charging spend onto one roaming network, which is worth tracking for CPOs weighing roaming partnerships.
ESB raises public EV charging prices in Northern Ireland for the second time in five months
ESB is raising public charging prices in Northern Ireland from Monday, with contactless rates at 85p per kWh for chargers of 49kW and above and 72p per kWh for chargers up to 48kW. Pay as you go app rates rise to 83p and 70p per kWh respectively, and 'Charge Lite' subscribers (£4.99 a month) will pay 79p above 49kW and 67p up to 48kW. This follows a July increase that set the contactless faster rate at 75p per kWh and the slower rate at 61p per kWh, which ESB attributes to continued rises in wholesale electricity costs.
Why it matters
Two price rises in five months show how wholesale cost pressure is feeding straight through to Northern Ireland's public charging tariffs, which affects driver demand and operator margin assumptions. ESB's planned 'Charge Smart' subscription from 25 November, with discounted off-peak rates, signals a move towards time-of-use pricing that CPOs and bidders should factor into tariff design.
Electric Vehicles
AutoTrader reviews imported Rivian R1T in the UK and finds it an awkward fit but an enthusiastic favourite
AutoTrader's Rory Reid drove an imported first generation Rivian R1T, with its quad motor setup peaking at 835 horsepower, through British villages, parking spaces and a drive-through. At roughly 18 feet long, the truck is hard to manoeuvre on tighter roads, and its left-hand drive position makes overtaking harder. Despite this, the reviewer praised its comfort, features and well-controlled body roll, while noting its weight can be heard in faster bends.
Why it matters
Imported large electric pickups like the R1T are appearing on UK roads, which raises practical questions about bay sizes, access and layout at charging sites. CPOs and site designers may want to consider how oversized vehicles fit into standard parking and charging spaces.
EVANI survey finds 86.3% of Northern Ireland EV drivers would choose another plug in vehicle
The Electric Vehicle Association Northern Ireland (EVANI) annual drivers survey drew 412 responses, up from 369 last year. It found 86.3% of respondents would definitely or likely choose another vehicle with a plug, 87% were satisfied or very satisfied with range, and 61% said obtaining a public charge had become easier. Tesla was the most commonly owned make, and Weev received the most votes for public charging reliability.
Why it matters
Strong owner retention and improving perceptions of public charging suggest steady demand for charging in Northern Ireland, with reliability now a visible differentiator, as the Weev result shows. Operators and bidders can use the findings to inform service and uptime priorities, bearing in mind the sample is modest at 412 responses.
Zenith supplies NG Bailey with ten electric Ford vans for fleet electrification trial
Zenith, a UK independent leasing and fleet management provider, has helped engineering and infrastructure services firm NG Bailey introduce a trial of ten fully electric Ford vans, covering the E-Transit Courier, E-Transit Custom and E-Transit. They join a commercial fleet of more than 600 vehicles. Zenith is also building a vehicle specification catalogue around NG Bailey's operational needs, considering vehicle size, usage and fit-out, with Mediafleet handling branding and The Van Hub handling interior fit-out.
Why it matters
Trials of this kind in large commercial fleets are an early signal of future depot and on-route charging demand from van operators. CPOs and installers should note that fleets are moving from ambition to structured testing, with specification work shaping where electric vans, and therefore charging, fit first.
Skoda Peaq seven-seat electric SUV offers up to 395 miles of range and 199kW charging
A feature on the new Skoda Peaq describes it as the largest and most luxurious Skoda yet, with an 86kWh battery giving up to 395 miles of range and charging speeds of up to 199kW. It is almost 4.9 metres long, 1.7 metres tall and almost two metres wide, with almost three metres between the front and rear wheels, and offers seven seats with sliding and reclining second-row seats. The piece is promotional in tone and aimed at UK electric SUV buyers.
Why it matters
A 199kW peak charge rate on a seven-seat family SUV adds to the demand for high-power public rapid and ultra-rapid charging that suits larger, long-range vehicles. For CPOs, this points to more drivers of big-battery cars looking for reliable, higher-output chargers at destinations and along key routes.
Grid & Energy
Octopus Energy users say small battery exports can earn Saving Session rewards with no peak use to cut
According to a Reddit discussion on r/OctopusEnergy, reported by The Cool Down, a UK customer with a new home battery had a Saving Session baseline of 0.00 kWh, leaving no peak-time usage to reduce. Other users suggested exporting stored power during the session rather than importing extra beforehand, with one saying they set their battery to export 20W for the hour and another raising export output by 250W. For one household the free-electricity benefit was worth roughly £1.40 per weekend, though these accounts are user reports and not official Octopus guidance.
Why it matters
It shows how behind-the-meter batteries can interact with demand-flexibility schemes, and how baseline rules shape customer behaviour. For CPOs and procurement teams weighing storage-backed sites, it is a reminder that flexibility rewards depend on programme design and that unofficial workarounds may not last.
FlatSave shared solar and battery scheme offers UK flat tenants up to £160 a year
FlatSave brings together Allume Energy, E.ON Next and housing association Peabody to serve multiple flats from one rooftop solar installation and a communal battery, with no equipment inside homes and no change of supplier, according to Inside Housing. The scheme claims savings of up to 60% on bills, and residents also receive a guaranteed annual grid payment of up to £160 ($214). The communal battery stores electricity when prices are low to support the grid at peak demand.
Why it matters
It shows a housing association, a supplier and a technology provider packaging shared solar and storage for apartment blocks, a model that could sit alongside charging plans for multi dwelling sites. CPOs and procurement teams may find the shared asset and grid support approach relevant when assessing power supply and flexibility options at residential locations.
PP Control & Automation and Transmission Engineering Services partner on UK grid protection and control panels
PP Control & Automation (PP C&A), a UK manufacturing outsourcing specialist, has partnered with Transmission Engineering Services (TES) to offer design and engineering of protection and control panels, followed by build and Factory Acceptance Testing, as a single solution. The approach has already been used on a National Grid scheme to upgrade and reinforce the high-voltage network across North Yorkshire. PP C&A director Tony Hague said the company sees more than £10m of opportunities over the next two years, with bigger long-term potential as grid infrastructure accelerates.
Why it matters
Grid connection capacity and delivery speed are a constraint for charging hubs, so added UK capacity for protection and control panels could help ease a supply chain bottleneck. The 'design for completion' approach, which aims to catch production issues before installation, is worth noting for CPOs and contractors planning high-power sites that depend on reinforced network assets.
Policy & Market
MCS proposes UK product standard for batteries covering capacity disclosure, cybersecurity and factory inspections
UK certification body MCS has been seeking feedback on a product standard for residential, commercial and industrial batteries, according to ESS News as reported by The Cool Down. The proposal would require manufacturers to disclose how much capacity users can actually access, strengthen digital security for connected batteries, and allow production site inspections. MCS introduced battery installation standards in 2020, but the batteries themselves have had no equivalent standard, and there is no confirmed implementation date.
Why it matters
A product level certification for batteries would add a second compliance layer alongside certified installers, which could shape supplier selection and tender specifications for storage paired with charging sites. Usable capacity disclosure and cybersecurity requirements may also make it easier to compare vendors, though timing remains uncertain while the standard is still in development.
Fuel duty cut extended to July 2027 while 3p a mile EV charge stays on track for April 2028
In the Autumn Budget, Chancellor John Healey extended the 5p fuel duty cut until July 2027, keeping duty at 52.95p a litre for petrol and diesel, while the 3p a mile tax on EVs remains scheduled for April 2028. Hippo Leasing says its average business EV lease covers 10,578 miles a year, so the charge would come to around £317 a year, or £26 a month on top of a typical £499 payment. Over the same distance a 45mpg petrol car pays around £566 in fuel duty before VAT, and Hippo reports October enquiries 7% up on last year and 13% up year to date, despite pre-budget surveys suggesting drivers were holding off.
Why it matters
The 2028 pay-per-mile start date gives CPOs and fleet buyers a fixed point to model EV running costs against, and the lease data suggests demand has not stalled. EV drivers would still pay a little over half the fuel duty of a comparable petrol driver, which supports the case for continued charging investment, though the added monthly cost may sharpen price sensitivity at the charger.