Osprey signs UK collaboration deals

UK charging firm Osprey has inked two new cooperation agreements, one with a supermarket owner and a second with an insurance firm.

It will partner with real estate investment trust Supermarket Income REIT, or SUPR, to install rapid EV charging hubs across the fund’s portfolio of supermarkets. The collaboration aims to “significantly improve the convenience of public EV charging for millions of customers of major retail brands such as Morrisons and Tesco”. Other major UK stores like Aldi and B&M will also be part of the deal.

The initial rollout of the collaboration will be 65+ rapid charge points at six locations, but further sites will be added to partnership. Two of the six are already live, both in areas where public EV charging is currently sparse: in Cumbria in northwest England and on the Norfolk-Lincolnshire border in eastern England.

The first of these comprises 16 ultra-rapid charge points, each capable of delivering up to 300kW, and the latter six. Two further locations in southwest England and in the East Midlands regions, with 16 and 12 ultra-rapid charge points respectively, are already under construction.

The hubs will be “managed by the latest charging technology that distributes power to vehicles based on their actual needs in real time”. Osprey says that this optimisation ensures no available power is wasted, allowing more high-power charge points to be installed and customers to receive the power their car requires throughout the charge.

EV charging “differentiates these retail locations and future-proofs the asset, attracting en-route fleet and private drivers as well as local residents and businesses for the long-term”, according to Osprey. “Locating reliable charging hubs at busy shopping areas, where millions of customers already drive each year, gives consumers confidence in choosing electric,” it says.

“Supermarkets sit at the heart of communities, and providing a high standard of EV charging at them makes a difference to consumers’ choice of where to shop and confidence to drive electric,” says Andrew Nosworthy, Osprey’s commercial director. He adds that SUPR’s “forward-thinking strategy will ensure they stay ahead of the curve by equipping their locations to meet growing EV market demand”.

“Supermarkets are an ideal location for EV charging, with shoppers able to charge while they pick up their groceries,” agrees Robert Abraham, managing director, supermarkets at Atrato Group, investment advisor to SUPR. “These developments are being delivered at no capital outlay to SUPR, whilst enhancing the sustainability credentials of assets and helping to drive footfall to the stores.”

The charging firm will cover all costs associated with installing and servicing the rapid charging points while sharing the profits. Osprey has several other partnerships in the retail property sector, installing over 180 rapid charge points for portfolio owners including Ediston, London & Scottish Investments, M7 Real Estate and Brookhouse Group.

Osprey’s second deal is with Electrix, a specialised electric car insurance and breakdown cover service from UK insurer LV=. The firm says it has chosen Osprey as its public charging partner “because of its high quality network”.

Electrix has existing partnerships with CBVC for leases, Indra for smart home chargers and Flow for insurance.