Be.EV joined forces with our investment partner, Octopus Energy Generation, to scoop an award at inspiratia's Europe Energy Transition Awards 2023. Our partnership was recognised as the winner in the Best Energy Charging Investor category.
Be.EV is proud to work alongside carefully selected partners who embody our sustainable ideals. The inspiratia Awards afforded a big win to our wider group of partners too, who have helped shape Be.EV into what it is today. Our finance partners, EY, scooped Best Financial Advisor - Renewables, Be.EV's longstanding legal partner, DLA Piper, took home Best Legal Advisor - Renewables, and Octopus Energy Generation also won an award for Best Energy Transition Fund Manager
Octopus Energy Generation, one of Europe’s largest renewable energy investors, funded up to £110m on behalf of its Sky fund (ORI SCSp) in September 2022, for Be.EV to scale and install new charge points across the UK.
Octopus Energy supplies all Be.EV chargers with 100% green electricity. The deal has helped grow Be.EV’s public charge point network to nearly 300 chargers in just 12 months, with Be.EV committed to adding 1,000 further charge points across the North of England and beyond by 2024.
Public EV charge points are currently unevenly distributed in the UK, skewed towards London*. Octopus Energy Generation's backing means Be.EV, which already operates Greater Manchester’s largest public EV charging network, is able to address this imbalance at speed. Its unique model builds concentrated, community-based charging networks where they’re most needed to ensure more equitable access to public chargers and instil confidence in going electric.
Asif Ghafoor, CEO and co-founder of Be.EV, said: “The backing from Octopus Energy Generation has been transformational for us. We have made strides over the past 12 months in forming dense clusters of chargers that give people the confidence to go electric. This award win is testament to our partnership's success in addressing the imbalance in the UK's public charging infrastructure. It's helped us kickstart a national infrastructure effort that, for once, doesn’t start in London.
"We’re building infrastructure that communities can be proud of, reinventing charging locations as green neighbourhood hubs and developing iconic designs. Octopus Energy Generation’s support means we can take this unique approach to other parts of the country, addressing the imbalance in charging provision across north and south, urban and rural communities.””
The award marks three out of three award wins for Be.EV in 2023, adding to the Sustainability Award won at the 2023 North West Business Awards, and Best Newcomer award at the 2023 Downtown in Business City of Manchester awards.
* Department for Transport, Electric Vehicle charging device statistics: January 2022, showing how London has the highest level of charging provision per 100,000 of population, at 102. For comparison, the North West has 24 for every 100,000 people.
