Centrica’s distributed energy and power business, Centrica Business Solutions, has launched a new electric vehicle (EV) offer designed to help businesses tackle the challenges of the EV transition.

Centrica’s research showed more than 75% of businesses are planning to introduce EVs into their fleets, but only 43% have considered the implications in terms of their energy demand

Businesses looking to adopt electric vehicles are being offered a combination of products that will allow them to meet the additional power requirements of new charging points by generating, storing and managing their own on-site power using solar and battery storage.

Customers will be able to integrate their EV chargers with existing energy infrastructure and access local energy management services to ensure they are managing their growing fleet in the smartest, most efficient way.

The ‘EV Enablement’ package of solutions has been developed in response to a potential 30% increase in today’s peak demand, Centrica said, which would require up to 18GW of additional power by 2050 in the UK alone.

Research carried out by Centrica – which operates the UK’s third largest commercial fleet with around 14,000 vehicles – has shown that more than 75% of businesses are planning to introduce EVs into their fleets. However, less than half (43%) of those have considered the implications of what that could mean in terms of their energy demand.

Jorge Pikunic, global managing director for Centrica Business Solutions said: “We believe distributed energy technologies will be key to supporting the cost-effective roll out of EVs, reducing the need for costly grid upgrades and new centralised generation capacity.

“Our offer has been designed to be fully flexible so that, whatever stage businesses are at on the EV journey, we can help make the transition simpler, faster and more affordable.”

Centrica has been a supplier and installer of over 17,000 charging points since 2012, while Centrica Business Solutions is also working with sister company British Gas to offer a 100% renewable business EV tariff that is certified by the Carbon Trust.

To find out more go to www.centricabusinesssolutions.com/ev-enablement