Kempower has completed its first UK EV charging project funded through a leasing agreement, with Highway Stops Retail Limited deploying eight new fast-charging points at its Astwick service station. The installation was financed through a flexible agreement with Kempower’s leasing partner, DLL, and marks a first for the two companies’ partnership.
Could leased EV chargers reduce the barriers of entry to forecourt operators?
The Astwick EV charging site, commissioned in February 2026 and located on the northbound stretch of the major A1 road, features four Kempower Double Satellites providing a total of eight CCS2 charging points. The Satellite chargers are connected to two Kempower Power Units, enabling each charger to deliver up to 400kW to connected EVs.
The financing model, developed by Kempower and global asset finance firm DLL, is designed to reduce the upfront cost of EV charging infrastructure for operators. While demand for public charging continues to rise in line with growing EV adoption, high initial capital expenditure remains one of the most significant barriers to entry for smaller forecourt businesses looking to add charging to their existing fuel businesses. The leasing agreement in this case spreads the cost over time rather than demanding it all at the point of installation.
Under the agreement, charging operators also receive regular maintenance services from Kempower alongside the hardware itself, pairing operational support with the financial backing. Hardware procurement, installation and long-term servicing for the Astwick project are handled by Kempower’s infrastructure partner, Yunex Traffic.
Kempower and DLL first partnered in 2024 with the aim of making DC fast charging deployment more accessible across Europe. The Astwick installation is the first UK project to come out of that partnership, and both companies have signalled an intention to allow more small and independent operators to bring EV charging to their sites through the same method.
Shilan Raja, Director at HSRL, commented:
“Responses to our new chargers have been overwhelmingly positive from others in the industry. This project is the result of the collaboration between teams of people passionate about e-mobility, so it makes me proud to see the chargers being used by EV drivers every day. Financing the project through Kempower with DLL was a huge enabler.”
Rolle Nieminen, Kempower’s Head of Sales for the UK & Ireland, commented:
“This flexible funding model opens the door for customers like HSRL who are in the early stages of expanding their EV charging services. The agreement we have with DLL helps remove the financial risk for operators, making the decision to commit to EV charging easier than ever. I’m excited to see more small and independent forecourt operators participating in the EV charging rollout through this new strategy.”
Mark McLoughlin, Energy Transition Country Commercial Manager for UK & Ireland at DLL, commented:
“We partnered with Kempower because we wanted to enable its customers to be successful without the significant initial capex. In today’s world, where the initial cost of hardware is high, our financing solutions can make the deployment of EV chargers easier and more affordable.”
