Addison Lee’s drivers are set to benefit from easier and cheaper electric vehicle (EV) charging on the public network thanks to a new partnership with Octopus Energy.
From today, drivers at the firm, claimed as London’s largest for premium private hire, courier and non-Hackney black taxis – will get access to Octopus Energy’s EV roaming service, Octopus Electroverse.
Electroverse’s ‘one card, one app’ model means Addison Lee drivers no longer need to download multiple apps and subscriptions. This deal enables them to power up with just one simple tap at most charge point brands in the capital.
This partnership also means Addison Lee drivers will get up to 24% off their charging costs at thousands of Source London and MFG EV Power charge points across London.
Now operating what it claims is the capital’s largest sustainable road fleet, over the last three years AL has spent £80 million to upgrade its vehicles.
The firm offers fully electric and zero emissions-capable vehicles from executive, premium cars, to black taxis. Its offering includes 600 PHEV VW multivans, Audi A6s, and A8s, in addition to the 1,000 fully electric VW ID.4s.
The deal comes as Octopus’ public charging offering has nearly tripled its customer base in twelve months. The disruptor says it is now the UK’s biggest EV roaming service.
Addison Lee CEO Liam Griffin said: “As the first private hire operator in London to introduce EVs at scale, we have been a pioneer of electrification. This also means that we have seen first-hand the difficulties that private hire drivers face when it comes to finding reliable and available charging infrastructure.
“Over the last three years, we have committed to supporting our drivers in this ongoing challenge. We are pleased to add Octopus Energy to our range of strategic charging partnerships.”
Octopus Electroverse director Matt Davies replied: “Addison Lee has taken brilliant steps towards electrifying its fleet. We’re excited to now give their thousands of drivers access to our super-simple EV charging experience, as well as discounts on key charging networks.”
Octopus says its Electric Vehicles division is now the UK’s largest EV-only leasing business. The company also pioneers smart tariffs for EVs.
Last month, Octopus launched the UK’s first mass market vehicle-to-grid tariff, Octopus Power Pack, enabling free home charging.
Eligible taxi drivers will be contacted directly by Addison Lee to access this Electroverse deal. Electric car drivers more broadly who are interested in signing up to Electroverse can do so via the Electroverse website, or the Electroverse app.
