Eco-tech expert Hive has partnered with electric vehicle (EV) public charging service Zapmap to make at-home and on-the-road charging more accessible and affordable for drivers across the UK.
The strategic partnership will offer “seamless charging experiences”, where drivers will be able to “confidently charge their EVs at or away from home”, it said.
The partnership will start next year with the first phase seeing new Hive EV customers receive £20 of charging credit to use at Zap-Pay enabled EV chargers.
The deal aims to give customers the freedom to travel and charge wherever they choose, with the ambition of helping over a million customers to go electric in the next three years.
Building on customer and market insights, the companies will also work together to provide information and resources to support Hive customers in understanding and navigating public charging – with location information, detailed charging costs, and straightforward ‘how-to’ user guides.
Longer-term, the partnership is set to explore bringing together the Hive app and Zapmap’s digital platform, including targeted end-to-end solutions for Hive customers to track their at-home and public charging within the Hive app, have multiple ways to pay for public charging, whether through the Hive app, charge cards or household energy bills.
Dan Rosenfield, Managing Director of Hive, said:
“We’re on a mission to help make EV charging simple and affordable. Through our strategic partnership with Zapmap and our investments in the Hive app, we are empowering EV drivers to have complete control over their electric driving experience.
“Electric vehicle uptake is a key part of the UK’s drive to net zero and, for many people, represents the first step on their journey to reducing their carbon footprint. EVs have continued to increase their market share since the start of the year as more drivers reap the benefits of going electric. To support this, we want to give drivers the confidence to charge whenever and wherever they want and save money in the process. This is all part of our ambition to energise a greener, fairer future for all.”
Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder and COO of Zapmap said:
“Zapmap has been helping drivers charge on the move for over 10 years, and we know how big a part home charging plays in the life of an EV owner. By combining simple home and public charging, we can give EV drivers everything they need to find and pay for charging and help the next generation of EV drivers build confidence charging, wherever they go.
“Hive customers can enjoy the benefits of EVs, stress-free, and we’re really excited to continue to expand the service to give them access to the best priced charging, within the simplest experience, across the broadest range of locations.”
Image courtesy of Zapmap
