EV entrepreneur wins business award

Ian Goodwin, Founder of Flexible Energy – a company that has developed a barrier-free EV charging bollard – has been recognised as one of this year’s most exceptional business leaders at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2022 Grand Final.

Using patented “Impact flex” technology, the “Bendy Bedale” chargepoint is damage-resistant and able to withstand low speed impact. As such, the chargepoint doesn’t require protective barriers, minimising the install footprint, improving uptime, reducing tripping hazards by placing directly on the kerb and improving accessibility for all users.

The Bendy Bedale has been designed to blend in with existing street furniture making it ideal for destination on-street charging with 7kW and 22kW versions available. 

Flexible Energy recently integrated with parking payment provider PayByPhone to trial combined parking and charging payments across Hambleton District Council. The programme seeks to improve customer experience within the charging space and the companies will be working to develop this model across the UK. 

Ian Goodwin is among 12 North West, Yorkshire and Humber entrepreneurs who went home with prizes in categories from Health & Beauty and Sustainability to Family Business and the overall Great British Entrepreneur of the Year Award, which was won by Jordan Brompton of myenergi.

The ceremony was held at Grosvenor House in London and saw 1,400 entrepreneurs and colleagues join together to celebrate a collective £2 billion generated in turnover and over 17,000 jobs.

Ian Goodwin said: “This award is a wonderful recognition of our efforts to bring reliable public charging infrastructure to our streets. Our chargers are designed to live in the real world and take a bump. From day one, we’ve championed better EV charging customer experience, improving accessibility and respecting the heritage of our towns & cityscapes.” 

Great British Entrepreneur Awards founder Francesca James said that the awards’ tenth anniversary was the biggest and best yet: “Celebrating Britain’s ambitious, driven and inspirational entrepreneurs for a decade has been an honour, and we’ve learnt so much from hearing all of their unique stories and perspectives.

“The extraordinary circumstances of the last few years have tested the resilience of our business communities, and the challenges were enough to give many entrepreneurs an excuse to give up. Instead, our award winners did the opposite and, through ingenuity, innovation and the ability to adapt, they thrived.

“We’d like to congratulate all of our 2022 winners for all of their hard work and achievements – we look forward to following your lead into 2023 and beyond!”

Image courtesy of Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Sign up for our essential
newsletter service.

Enter your details here.