Centrica and NCP have sparked a deal that will see the two companies trial new approaches to electric vehicle charging for fleet drivers.

Centrica and NCP’s collaboration will bring
the first pilot ‘charge park’ in the new year.

Intended to make charging more convenient in public spaces, the collaboration will bring the first pilot ‘charge park’ in the new year. The two companies are also promising to examine how to combine leisure services and technology to make charging less onerous, building on NCP’s management of over 500 sites and more than 150,000 parking spaces and Centrica’s charging solutions.

Andreas Atkins, head of electric vehicle strategy for Centrica Innovations, said: “One of the big barriers we need to overcome in terms of adoption is how professional drivers can make time in their day to charge.

“While there has been a great deal of research in to how to make charging faster, little has been done to enhance convenience, so that charging can fit comfortably in to our busy lives.”

Jonathan Scott, CEO at NCP, added: “Mechanisms such as the congestion charge and Ultra Low Emissions zones are drivers for the adoption of electric fleets. We are investing to grow the number of our sites offering EV charging, but we want to do so in a way that’s fit for purpose for all of our customers.”