bp pulse and APCOA to Build EV Hubs Across Europe

bp pulse, one of the leading rapid and ultra-fast public EV charging networks in the UK and APCOA Parking Group, the UK’s leading provider of tailored parking solutions with an established presence in Europe, have signed a strategic pan-European frame agreement to open more than 100 EV fast charging hubs across Europe.

Under the agreement, bp pulse plans to install ultra-fast charging at APCOA car parks -‘Urban Hubs’ - in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland and the UK over the next three years to help expand its charging network in city centres and further accelerate urban e-mobility infrastructure throughout Europe.

The project is part of APCOA’s plans to transform its car parks into Urban Hubs which will provide physical and digital infrastructure for mobility, logistics, e-charging and technology based services.

The two companies aim to work together to provide a convenient customer journey through digital integration of the bp pulse and ‘APCOA Connect’ app in the UK and ‘APCOA Flow’ app in Europe. Registered users will be able to locate, access, book and pay for their charging and parking at the car park from their mobile, and the car park’s entry and exit barriers will open automatically as the vehicle approaches.

Two Urban Hubs in Berlin and Bremen in Germany are expected to open in the third quarter of 2023. These will be the first locations to offer ultra-fast charging which can charge a minimum of six cars, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and will be operated by Aral pulse, bp’s German brand. To make the most of downtime whilst charging, some of the hubs will also offer a ‘driver lounge’ including a vending offer of hot and cold drinks, seating areas with phone charging points, free Wi-Fi and restrooms will be available.

With the incoming ban on ICE vehicles across Europe in 2035, alongside measures to equip up to 30% of public parking spaces with charging facilities for electric cars, bp pulse and APCOA’s Urban Hubs will offer one solution in well-lit city-centre parking where available land is often scarce.

Stefan von Dobschuetz, General Manager Europe, bp pulse said: “This agreement will help us to build our EV charging network across Europe by offering customers the fastest and most convenient EV hub charging experience. By working with APCOA, we’re bringing the future of parking, charging and services for urban life in one place.”

Philippe Op de Beeck, CEO, APCOA said: “Working with bp pulse is another step to achieve our plan to deploy 1,000 fast-charging stations through commercial partners in APCOA’s car parks. Doing so, we are providing customers added services in our locations and make a relevant contribution to the transformation of individual mobility.”

About APCOA PARKING Group 

APCOA PARKING Group is Europe's leading parking operator with 50 years of industry expertise. With its 4,700 employees, the company manages more than 1.7 million individual parking spaces at over 12,000 locations. These parking spaces are all situated in the proximity of 70% of the population of APCOAs 13 countries' organizations. With its consistent "asset-light" business model, APCOA is the trusted partner that maximizes value for private and public real estate owners

Via its open digital platform APCOA FLOW, the company connects on-street and off-street car parks with clients, partners, customers, and their vehicles. Based on this technology, APCOA is transforming its car parks into Urban Hubs, providing the physical and digital infrastructure for mobility, logistics, e-charging, and technology-based services. Customers profit from innovative and convenient experiences provided by APCOA and its partners which use the car parks to deliver their services. The environment also benefits as the company actively contributes to the reduction of emissions in cities by decreasing the volume of traffic for logistics and searching for parking. By connecting parking, mobility, and services for urban life, APCOA is positioned to be an integral part of the digital and physical urban ecosystem. 

About bp pulse

• bp pulse is bp’s electric vehicle (EV) charging business. It is one of the leading rapid and ultra-fast public EV charging networks in the UK and in Germany operates under the Aral pulse brand with more than 1,400 charging points nationwide
• bp’s EV charging journey started in 2018 with the acquisition of Chargemaster Ltd in the UK. Rebranded to bp pulse, its presence has extended rapidly across the world to China, Germany, Netherlands, and USA.
• Focused on fast, reliable charging bp pulse is rolling out charge points to consumers and commercial fleets wherever they need them home, destination, depot and on-the- go – including at bp forecourts.
• EV charging is one of the key growth engines driving bp's transformation to an integrated energy company. The company aims to grow its network of public EV charging points by 2030 to over 100,000 worldwide