Peer to peer EV charging now available through “modernised fuel card” concept

Exeter-based peer to peer EV charging app Co Charger and Essex-based EV fleet payments company Paua have set up a reciprocal agreement to provide access to both base and route charging across almost 22,000 charge points nationwide.

Through the new arrangement, business drivers can use Paua’s app-based solution to locate and pay for both public and private home charge points on the Co-Charger peer-to-peer network.

The joint offering combines Paua’s fleet driver orientated EV charging services with Co Charger’s private shared charging solution, enabling employees who cannot charge at home to rent a neighbour’s charger instead. The agreement provides a charging solution for the approximately half of fleet drivers unable to install a charger at home, making it easier for all employees to swop to electric vehicles.

Solutions such as the Paua and Co Charger initiative are vital for achieving the country’s legally binding decarbonisation targets, says Joel Teague, co-founder and CEO of Co Charger, “Businesses across the UK know they need to switch to electric vehicles, but many are nervous about transferring, mostly because of the potential impact on employees, and this is especially true for those unable to charge at home”, he says.

“Providing a comprehensive ‘single site’ solution, combining base and route charging with easy payments, allays these fears”, he adds. “It means companies can provide clear, easy advice to all employees about where they go for information, regardless of their individual circumstances.”

Paua offers access, payments, and combined billing through public charge points at over 20 networks covering 6,600 UK locations including Shell, Osprey, Ionity, Char.gy and Mer.

Niall Riddell, co-founder and CEO of Paua says, “With the addition of Co Charger’s home charge points, we’re now fulfilling the needs of millions of business drivers who need access to regular, reliable base charging too.”

Riddell adds, “At Paua we are modernising the fuel card and bringing it into the twenty first century. The digital and connected future means that we are able to create a better charging experience with technologies that didn’t exist when petrol and diesel re-fuelling was being considered. The old petrol and diesel fuel card is based on an approach developed in the 1980’s which has seen little innovation. With Paua’s solutions we are able to deliver improved user experiences at every step on the electric car recharging journey.”