Centrica pens Ford EV charging deal amidst financial pressure
Centrica has revealed a new deal with Ford for a ‘one-stop’ charging solution, on the same day it revealed its operating profits have nearly halved.
The utility has partnered with Ford to provide EV charging installations and energy tariffs for new Ford EVs as part of a comprehensive charging solution, with all new Ford passenger vehicle nameplates in Europe to now include an electrified option.
A charging installation service is to be developed across hundreds of Ford dealerships, as well as EV tariffs from British Gas and Bord Gáis Energy to allow for lower energy prices for overnight charging.
However, the announcement comes as Centrica revealed today that its operating profits have almost halved, falling to £399 million and resulting in a 58% cut to the interim dividend.
The new Ford partnership is the latest in a long series of EV announcements as the utility looks to ramp up its EV portfolio. It formed Centrica Mobility Ventures, it’s e-mobility team, in January and unveiled its global ‘EV Enablement’ package through its Business Solutions arm in May, providing businesses with EV charging infrastructure and solar and battery storage facilities.
It also committed to electrifying its fleet by 2030 as part of The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative and revealed plans to offer residential charging installations through an expansion of its digital service, Local Heroes.
Sarwjit Sambhi, CEO of Centrica Consumer, said Centrica is committed to helping its customers to “transition to a lower carbon future”.
“I believe we are uniquely positioned to help customers at home and in business to make the shift to electric vehicles, harnessing the power of our global network of over 13,000 technicians and engineers to deliver solutions that are simpler, faster and more affordable for consumers,” Sambhi continued.
Centrica’s focus on EVs echoes moves made by ScottishPower, which launched an end-to-end EV deal with car retailer Arnold Clark in 2018 and earlier this year announced a £2 billion earmarked for large-scale battery storage and public EV charge points. Drax also launched a similar end-to-end service for C&I customers.
Source : current-news
