Co Charger Website Profile

One of the greatest challenges facing fleet operators is that of charging return-to-home electric vehicles.  With most drivers unable to have home charge points the majority are dependent on unbookable, expensive and unreliable public charge points.  The result is that each return-to-home vehicle can lose dozens of hours and thousands of pounds every month on finding, waiting for and using public chargers during working hours.   Operations become chaotic, costs rise and drivers become frustrated.

Co Charger, the UK’s Community Charging platform, provides an immediate, easy solution.  By enabling more drivers to charge off-shift while at home, it dramatically reduces dependency on public charge points.  It is the new “must-have tool in the box” for fleet electrification.

The concept is simple: While the UK has over 30,000 public charge points, it has over ten times as many private ones – mainly in residential areas, extremely reliable, and used less than once per week.   Co Charger simply enables the owners of those home and business charge points to rent them on a bookable, dependable and simple basis to neighbours who cannot have their own.   The ‘Host’ makes money on their under-utilised asset, and the ‘Chargee’ gets all the benefits of a home charger… just with a longer walk to their front door.

What does this mean for fleet operators wishing to decarbonise their fleets?

• More vehicles starting every shift with a full battery
• More predictable, reliable and efficient fleet operations
• Lower costs
• Better driver wellbeing and retention.
   

Already the UK’s fastest growing EV charging network, Co Charger is on course to be the biggest of all in 2023.   Most UK residents live within a mile of one of Co Charger’s 4,000 registered Hosts, which means the opportunity is there to make an immediate improvement for existing drivers of EVs.

How does it work in practice?

• A Host creates a free account on the Co Charger app.  They enter data about their location, the type of charger they have (almost always 7kW) and the price to be paid per hour to use it.
• A driver creates a free ‘Chargee’ account on the app.  They record where they live and the vehicle they drive.
• The app connects the Chargee with nearby Hosts, allowing them to send messages and request charging sessions.
• The Chargee can book for the entire time they need to leave the vehicle – often overnight – but only pays for the time when the charge point is active.
• The app looks after bookings, reminders, calculations and payments.
• At the end of each shift the Chargee doesn’t bother looking for somewhere to park – they go to their Host, plug in, start the session in the app, and walk home.  They return at the end of the booked time – which can be at the beginning of their next shift – unplug, and start their day with a full battery.
• At the end of each session, payment is taken from the Chargee’s card, 12% goes to Co Charger to run the scheme, and the rest goes to the Host.  Co Charger can provide data on payments and charging sessions to the fleet operator.
   

The effect isn’t an alternative to public chargers – it’s the removal of the need to charge at all during the working day.   Drivers using Co Charger can be managed as if they have a home charge point – starting every shift with a full battery.  Even the cost per kWh is generally far lower.

It’s easy to start and costs nothing to set up: Just get in touch with Co Charger and they will help to get you up and running.  You can send the postcodes of your drivers and they will let you know which already have nearby Hosts.   They will help you – free of charge – to get those drivers up and running and to progress your fleet electrification over time using Co Charger.

No hidden costs; no catches, contracts or tie-ins.  It really is that simple!

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