TotalEnergies, the multinational energy company, announced on Tuesday its plans to expand its network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the United Kingdom and Ireland, in collaboration with Scottish renewable energy producer SSE.
Rapid Charging Stations Powered by Renewables
Up to 3,000 rapid charging stations (with a capacity of 150 kW and above), clustered in 300 locations, will be installed by the end of 2028 under the “Source” brand.
This joint venture, employing approximately 50 people, is equally owned by both partners.
Strategic Locations and Renewable Energy Supply
The sites, exclusively powered by renewable energy supplied by both SSE and TotalEnergies, will be strategically located in urban and suburban areas.
Targeting 20% Market Share
The two partners aim to eventually capture 20% of the charging market in these two countries with this investment, estimated at 300 million euros based on the current cost of installing charging stations.
Building on Existing Presence
TotalEnergies already has a presence in the UK market with 2,600 charging points in London and Birmingham, operating under the Source London brand. SSE, which develops and constructs renewable energy generation and storage networks, has also established charging stations in Scotland and Ireland.
SSE and TotalEnergies are already collaborating in energy production through a large offshore wind farm on the east coast of Scotland.
Leveraging Expertise for Site Selection and Grid Connection
In this new partnership, TotalEnergies will “assist in selecting suitable sites” while SSE will contribute “its expertise in connecting a site to the grid,” stated Mathieu Soulas, Director of New Mobility at TotalEnergies.
Source will adjust its “deployment pace to the speed of market development” in both countries, where there is a “genuine public desire” to transition to electric vehicles, Soulas emphasized during a press conference.
UK EV Market Growth and Government Targets
The UK witnessed the registration of its one millionth all-electric vehicle in January. Electric vehicles accounted for 16.6% of new vehicle sales in the first six months of the year, nearly matching the figures in France, according to the latest data released by the industry association SMMT.
The new Labour government has pledged to bring forward the target of 100% electric car sales to 2030, from the previous government’s goal of 2035, and to accelerate the deployment of charging stations.
Expanding Public Charging Infrastructure
As of April 1st, 59,670 public electric vehicle charging devices were installed in the UK, representing an increase of almost 50% year-over-year, according to government data.