By Dave Bean, FMW Associate Editor
Both fleet managers and drivers of EVs in Europe may have just had their lives on the road made easier after ALD Automotive and ChargePoint announced they are taking their existing business relationship, established in 2019, even further by offering a singular electric Mobility Service Provider (eMSP) to simplify the charging process.
Through this relationship, those who drive corporate assigned fleet vehicles will have access to nearly half-a-million charging stations all over Europe, powered by ChargePoint, an established leader in on-the-go vehicle electrification.
With one dedicated app and an accompanying charge card, fleet drivers will not only be able to access the charging network, but critical and necessary reports, such as payments and reimbursements, can also be administered and submitted for processing. Further, the app and charge card duo can also be utilized for home and office charging.
For fleet managers, their lives are made simpler with a single computer dashboard which offers the ability to monitor their electric vehicle fleet and control or limit charging costs wherever they occur. This is especially beneficial for those who source their vehicles and/or charging stations via multiple suppliers. Also, similar to fleet drivers using the eMSP, managers will be able to administer and process payments and reimbursement requests.
“With this agreement, we are expanding our relationship with ALD Automotive, and enabling more businesses to electrify their fleets,” said Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint. “Together, ChargePoint and ALD Automotive will enable more businesses and drivers’ frictionless access to simple and reliable charging, opening up the millions of lease company controlled vehicles in Europe to the EV revolution.”
Looking to be available by the end of this year, the eMSP will have its main office near Paris, and will begin offering the service first in France and the Netherlands. The expectation is that Belgium and Germany would be next to have access to the network. The extended plan is to then make the eMSP available in Italy, UK, Sweden, Spain, Austria, Denmark, Finland, and Norway by 2025. Both ALD Automotive and ChargePoint are optimistic that this new enterprise can expand beyond its original scope in terms of both geography and types of businesses served.
“With ChargePoint, our goal is to simplify and facilitate access to EV charging services for corporate fleets. This new venture allows ALD Automotive to take an additional stake in the EV ecosystem value chain while further advancing Green Tech for mobility,” confirms Tim Albertsen, CEO of ALD. “We believe that this unique charging value-proposition for fleets will be a game changer in accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles. With one of the largest multi-make fleets of electric vehicles worldwide, we take our responsibility of facilitating the energy transition seriously and are set on making sustainable mobility a reality.”
To read the ALD Automotive press release, click here.
