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Kempower has delivered its first UK project using a leasing finance model, installing eight CCS2 charging points at a BP service station in Astwick, Bedfordshire, for Highway Stops Retail Limited. The site, commissioned in February 2026, uses four Kempower Double Satellite units and two Power Units capable of delivering up to 400 kW per charger, with hardware procurement, installation and servicing handled by Yunex Traffic. The project was funded through a flexible finance agreement with DLL, Kempower's leasing partner since 2024.

Why it matters: The leasing model lowers upfront infrastructure costs and includes ongoing maintenance, addressing a key barrier to network expansion for charging operators. Astwick marks the first UK deployment of the Kempower and DLL partnership, offering a replicable finance route for future charging rollouts.

Bedford Borough Council has partnered with Connected Kerb to deploy an initial 260 EV charging sockets across Bedford, Kempston and surrounding villages, focusing on areas without off-street parking. The rollout is funded by the Government's Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, with the council planning to expand the network to more than 900 sockets in total to meet growing demand. Connected Kerb will install, maintain and manage the charging infrastructure on behalf of the council's Highways Engineering team.

Why it matters: The 260-socket first phase and 900-plus socket target signal a substantial procurement opportunity in a borough prioritising on-street charging for residents without driveways. CPOs and installers should note the LEVI-backed, council-led model with a single operator managing the network, a structure likely to be replicated in similar local authorities.

Bedford Borough Council has awarded a 15 year, borough wide EV charging concession to Connected Kerb, with the winning bid delivering 960 sockets against a 512 minimum requirement. The contract is valued at £56.6m, with the council contributing £1.01m in subsidy and Connected Kerb privately funding 704 of the charge points. The concession runs from 2025 to 2040 and covers full turnkey infrastructure and associated services.

Why it matters: The award nearly doubles the target deployment and establishes the supply chain hierarchy for a major long term concession, with the operator taking significant private funding risk. The £1.01m public subsidy against £56.6m total value demonstrates a heavily co-funded model that may inform similar procurements.

A new electric vehicle charging station is planned for Medford, Oregon, with completion expected by late summer, according to Your Oregon News. The project adds to the city's public charging infrastructure, though specific site details and charger specifications were not disclosed in the announcement.

Why it matters: The installation expands charging access in southern Oregon and signals continued municipal investment in EV infrastructure, relevant for CPOs and contractors tracking procurement opportunities in smaller US cities.

EV charging operator char.gy has installed its 5,000th public charge point, with the milestone unit deployed in Brighton & Hove where the council plans around 6,000 chargers in the UK's largest on street rollout outside London. The company recently installed 300 charge points in six weeks in Barnet as part of a 500 unit programme, and has secured contracts for around 2,600 units in Reading and more than 1,500 on the Isle of Wight. char.gy uses kerbside installations, often retrofitting lamp columns, with electricity matched to renewable generation through REGO certificates via a partnership with EDF.

Why it matters: The 5,000 unit milestone and rapid deployment pace, including 300 chargers in six weeks, demonstrate the scalability of lamp column conversions for councils targeting the 40% of UK households without off street parking. Multi thousand unit council contracts signal sustained procurement volume in the on street segment, with Brighton & Hove's 6,000 charger plan setting a benchmark for urban rollout ambition outside the capital.

Bedford Hospital in the United Kingdom currently provides only four electric vehicle charging points across its site for use by staff, patients and visitors, according to a Bedford Today report. The limited provision highlights infrastructure gaps at NHS facilities as EV adoption grows among the public and healthcare workforce.

Why it matters: The shortfall signals potential procurement opportunities for charge point operators targeting healthcare estates, where demand from employees and visitors is rising but existing infrastructure remains minimal.

Pod Point has introduced Pod Power by EDF, a new electricity tariff offering seven hours of off-peak charging overnight for electric vehicle owners in the UK. The tariff is designed to encourage charging during periods of lower grid demand. The product was announced via Future Transport News and represents a collaboration between the charge point operator and energy supplier EDF.

Why it matters: Time of use tariffs can reduce operational costs for fleet operators and influence site utilisation patterns, while partnerships between CPOs and energy suppliers may shape future commercial charging propositions and grid integration strategies.

EDF has added two hours to its off-peak charging period, now running from 11pm to 6am for new and existing customers on its electric vehicle tariffs. The seven-hour window is the longest among UK suppliers and allows drivers using a standard 7kW home charger to add between 140 and 210 miles of range, which EDF says could cover 12 days of commuting. Previously, off-peak hours ran from midnight to 5am.

Why it matters: Longer off-peak windows improve the business case for home charging infrastructure by lowering operating costs for fleets and private users. The move may influence tariff design across the UK market and affect demand patterns for workplace and public charging networks.

Bristol is rolling out 150 lamppost mounted EV charging points across Victorian terraced neighbourhoods including Windmill Hill, Knowle, Bedminster, Montpelier, Easton and Redfield, targeting areas without driveways. The chargers tap into lamppost power supplies and require users to bring their own cables and register via an app. A former Bristol mayor has raised concerns that the on street parking spaces beside the units are not reserved for electric vehicles, creating uncertainty over access.

Why it matters: The deployment model highlights a key procurement challenge for lamppost charging schemes: without dedicated EV bays, utilisation rates and return on investment may fall short of projections. CPOs and local authorities evaluating similar residential charging rollouts will need to factor enforcement and parking policy into their business cases.

XCharge North America and New York contractor Energy Plus will construct a large EV charging depot near Bedford Avenue and the Williamsburg Bridge, installing 44 GridLink battery storage units providing 9.46 MWh of capacity across 88 parking spaces. The bidirectional system will charge during off-peak hours and can supply power back to the city grid during peak demand or blackouts, aiming to serve EV owners and taxi or rideshare drivers without straining local infrastructure.

Why it matters: The project demonstrates how battery storage can enable high-density urban charging without costly grid upgrades, a model that procurement teams and CPOs may replicate in congested metro areas. Bidirectional capability also opens revenue streams from grid services, improving the business case for large depot installations.