Franklin Energy works with Fortum to expand its EV charging network

Franklin Energy has signed an agreement with Fortum Charge & Drive in order to expand its EV charging network.

The firm’s LiFe electric vehicle points will be operated by Fortum’s cloud system, and new chargers will be used under the same system as well.

The LiFe points are primarily based in the North West, but there are plans to expand them to every major city in England, Ireland and Scotland.

Robert Byrne, CEO and founder of Franklin Energy, said: “We selected Charge & Drive as our operating platform for two reasons. Firstly, Charge & Drive is the leading operator in the Nordic markets, which has seen mass adoption of electric vehicles, and it is experienced in all aspects of the value chain – from customer support to building new city EV charging networks.

“Secondly, Charge & Drive is charge point manufacturer-agnostic and has more than 15 charging manufacturers already integrated into the back end, allowing Franklin to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape and bring new emerging technologies to market before its competitors.”