North East vehicle specialist Redde Northgate has snapped up a Midlands supplier of electric vehicle charging equipment.
The Darlington vehicle hire and accident support group, which has operations across the UK, Ireland and Spain, has acquired Charged Electric Vehicles Ltd, which trades as ChargedEV, based in Derbyshire.
The firm said the “strategically significant” acquisition of Charged EV, which works across the UK, provides the group with a platform to expand its offerings in the important and growing area, as both its own EV fleet and its customers’ EV fleets evolve.
It said it will also support the group’s environmental goals and be integral to its overall programme around EV transition and reducing carbon emissions.
The acquisition comes a week after the group published full year results, in which it said it had been bringing further EVs and alternative fuel vehicles into its fleet, taking current levels to 2,300 electric, LPG and hybrid vehicles.
CEO Martin Ward also said that EV charging capabilities had been installed in a first wave of three branches in UK&I and five branches in Spain, and that it was planning to continue to roll out charging capabilities across all its branches.
ChargedEV, based in Chesterfield, has a 20-strong team of experts who take orders from customers for an EV charging point and then deliver the installation via one of its own trained electrical installers or via a network of approved third-party installers.
Following the acquisition the firm said: “The addition of ChargedEV to the group complements the work already undertaken to position Redde Northgate to support our customers’ transition from internal combustion engines (ICE) to EVs.
“With the acquisition, the group now has an experienced team that can offer a turnkey solution on EVs and EV charging. This development, and the growing EV composition in the fleet, is part of a wider strategic aim to ensure that Redde Northgate is at the forefront of this transition which will grow over time.”
It said the group now has over 300 fully trained technicians who are certified to work on EVs, with the majority of the wider team also trained on EV awareness. It also plans to enhance the group’s workshop and bodyshop capacity over time.
Mr Ward added: “As leaders and businesses across the globe seek to tackle the world’s growing environmental challenges, we too are working hard to position the group to provide responsible and sustainable solutions for our customers and stakeholders.
“We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of ChargedEV, which in line with this strategic objective, places us at the forefront of the transition to EV in our markets as both our own and our customers’ fleets evolve. I’d like to welcome the ChargedEV team to Redde Northgate and look forward to developing this important area of the business.”
