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There is momentum in the UK’s drive to decarbonise its transport sector by switching diesel and petrol vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs). This pace of delivery is absolutely critical for the UK government to meets its ban on sale of new diesel and petrol cars by 2035.
Although many EVs will be charged at home, there is no doubt that building a world-leading public charging network remains critical to ensuring that public confidence in EVs does not dip or become a barrier to the UK’s zero emission motoring ambition. Although the public charge point landscape is changing rapidly it needs to continue to remain dynamic to meet the UK government's EV strategy to make 300,000 public charge points available in the UK by 2030.
The team comprises genuine leaders in their field. Its energy practice in particular is market leading. Individuals within the team go the extra mile to really ingratiate themselves within our business team and working with them is good fun.
Sector experts
The delivery of a fit for purpose EV charging infrastructure network is not being delivered by a single entity or sector. Instead, it will take the aggregated efforts of a range of stakeholders including local authorities, landowners, developers, charge point operators and energy providers/DNOs to drive forward EV projects across the UK.
Our dedicated and specialist Energy team in Bevan Brittan has extensive experience advising our clients on EV (both car and bus) projects across different sectors in the UK. Throughout each EV project, we often support clients to navigate through a range of legal matters from the choice of commercial model and structure, procurement options, energy connection issues, leasing arrangements, insurance, subsidy control and planning.
We recognise EV projects often form part of wider projects such as solar and battery storage and smart city projects. We can support with all of these.
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Our market leading knowledge allows us to balance legal arrangements to ensure the bespoke requirements of each EV project are met while adopting market standard positions where appropriate to facilitate speedy implementation.
Some examples of the key EV charging infrastructure issues and challenges our team can assist on include:
- Strategic advice on EV commercial delivery models – including charge point operators (CPOs) and landowner owned assets
- Procurement strategies for contracting authorities
- Real estate advice on EV charging infrastructure Leases
- EV projects on Housing Scheme Development
- EV fleet arrangements
- Grid connection arrangements
- Construction and commissioning of EV charging infrastructure
- Innovative technologies such as solar canopies and battery storage solutions
- Charging hub projects
- Grant funding agreements and conditions
- Subsidy control advice
- Corporate support
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How we can help
Examples of our team's EV charging infrastructure work includes advising:
- Supporting local authorities and combined authorities on the grant funding conditions (and fund allocation models) in relation to a range of subsidy support mechanisms including LEVI (Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) and ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas) funds.
- The Office of Zero Emission Vehicles in relation to the design of the £950m Rapid Charge Fund to support the roll out of Electric Vehicle Charge Points on the UK’s strategic road network.
- A Local Authority (confidential) on proposals provided by a developer on concession arrangements to utilise multiple sites across the Council’s geographical region to install and operate an EV charging infrastructure
- Canal & River Trust advising on a number of concession arrangements with a developer to utilise a number of sites to operate EV charging infrastructure, advising on all contractual arrangements including profit share, operational and maintenance requirements, lease of the site, sub-station lease, highways agreement, wayleaves etc.
- CPOs on the due diligence exercise on the acquisition/mergers of another CPO's business.
- A Local Authority on the establishment of a nationwide framework for EV charging infrastructure including the development of construction and operation agreements.
- National bus operators on the arrangements for large EV charging infrastructure at strategic depot sites.
- Health contracting authority on the roll out of EV charging infrastructure across its national estate.
- English Heritage on commercial and property arrangements for a developer to utilise its sites to install EV charging infrastructure, and we helped prepare/finalise all relevant contractual documentation for the ongoing business operation on a rental basis.
- A private sector partner consortium on bidding the concession / partnership arrangements for the Bristol City Leap project – a £multi-billion partnership arrangement to decarbonise Bristol and create a zero-carbon, smart energy city by 2030. This included opportunities to establish an EV charging infrastructure
- A consortium of public sector stakeholders on a Smart Hub project for a number of energy innovations including battery storage, smartgrid management, hydrogen refueling and EV infrastructure.
- Leading UK and US property developers BXS (Argent and Related consortium) on all the utilities and energy aspects (including a smart energy network) at Brent Cross South which forms part of the £4 billion masterplan for Brent Cross in London.
- A developer on the creation of a market leading Energy Flexibility and Data Sharing Platform project which is fundamentally important to the future development of GB Energy system and energy transition.
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