bp pulse have announced that it plans to establish a bp pulse Gigahub network, a series of large electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging hubs, in the USA. They are designed to serve ride-hail and taxi fleets near US airports and high-demand locations across the nation.
bp pulse is bp’s electric vehicle charging business, rolling out fast, reliable charge points to consumers and commercial fleets around the world. Entering into the Americas, bp pulse focuses on providing EV charging and energy management to fleets that operate heavy-, medium- and light-duty vehicles.
Key offerings for these fleets include intelligent charge management software, Omega, and a Charging-as-a-Service solution–allowing bp pulse to manage the charging of an EV fleet from start to finish, while optimising energy costs and vehicle utilisation.
The first planned location will be built near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in collaboration with Hertz and is partially funded by a grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC).
The CEC is providing a $2 million grant award to support the proposed project near LAX. bp pulse will be leading the installation and management of the charging infrastructure.
This includes the use of its proprietary Omega charge management software that optimises the cost of charging. The bp pulse Gigahub site would be located at one of Hertz’s sites near LAX.
Vic Shao, president of bp pulse’s fleet division, said: “More and more ride-hail and taxi fleets are making bold commitments to electrify. To do so successfully, they will need access to reliable EV charging.
“Our Gigahub network will provide a charging experience that is convenient and cost-optimised to drivers at airports across the country.”
The development of the Gigahub network is part of bp pulse’s commitment to making the adoption of electric transportation simple, reliable and cost-effective. Globally, bp has a goal of expanding its network of chargers to 100,000 by 2030.
Recently, bp pulse and Hertz announced a memorandum of understanding to build out charging infrastructure at Hertz locations across North America.
Jeff Nieman, Hertz Operations Initiatives senior vice president, said: “Our aim is to provide Hertz customers with access to a national network of chargers that makes the experience of renting an electric vehicle convenient and seamless.
“Ride-share drivers are essential to the mobility landscape and more than 25,000 Uber drivers have rented EVs through Hertz to date. We are thrilled to partner with bp pulse to offer this charging hub to those drivers at one of Hertz’s great sites near LAX. And it’s just the beginning.”
The grant from the CEC is part of the California Clean Transportation Program’s Charging Access for Reliable On-Demand Transportation Services initiative. This initiative aims to mitigate the environmental impact of significant ride-hail penetration in Los Angeles’ transportation space.
Patty Monahan, California Energy Commissioner for Transportation Lead, said: “Vehicles employed by California’s ride-hailing fleets make up 2.5 per cent of the vehicle population but consume 30 per cent of all public fast charging.
“The California Energy Commission is proud to support projects like the Gigahub network by bp pulse, near LAX in partnership with Hertz, two transportation powerhouses who are working together to help electrify ride-hailing and rental fleets and cut pollution in communities.”
Ashwin Dias, Head of Vehicles and Electrification at Uber, said: “When high mileage drivers switch to electric vehicles, they can realise up to four times the emissions benefits compared to an average car owner. But we also know from drivers that charging availability is a key concern when making the switch.
“The leadership from bp pulse, Hertz and the California Energy Commission to build charging solutions near locations like LAX, where high mileage drivers need them most, is crucial to addressing that barrier and achieving the maximum emissions benefits.”
Globally, bp pulse is one of the UK’s leading rapid and ultra-fast public EV charging networks. Earlier in the year, the company announced it would be spending an extra £1 billion on electric vehicle charge points in the United Kingdom.
bp pulse also operates the largest number of sites with ultra-fast charging in Germany, with a growing charging point footprint in China and the Netherlands. The company aims to increase its network of public EV charging points by 2030 to over 100,000 worldwide.
