Pod Point has partnered with property investment company Custodian REIT to install EV charging across its property portfolio.

Custodian has committed to installing EV charging across all retail warehousing sites by 2025, in addition to a phased roll-out across office and industrial assets

As part of its wider ESG strategy, Custodian has committed to installing EV charging across all retail warehousing sites by 2025, in addition to a phased roll-out across office and industrial assets.

Pod Point will install EV chargers at 12 sites over 2022 and 2023 and the tie-up could see Custodian work with the EV charging firm to continue its EV charging roll out across future acquired assets for both public and tenant use.

The 12 initial sites cover nine retail assets and three workplace locations for use by Custodian’s commercial tenants. Each retail location will be installed with at least four rapid charging bays, offering 75kW or 100kW speeds, and charging will be made available “at a competitive rate” to retail customers. Office locations will get 7kW chargers. All electricity will come from 100% renewable energy sources.

Richard Shepherd-Cross, managing director of Custodian Capital, said: “Pod Point is playing an integral role in helping us achieve our ESG goals while also enabling us to futureproof our retail and industrial assets as we transition to an electric future. The provision of EV charging across our retail estates also significantly enhances the properties’ occupier appeal by increasing customer footfall and dwell time. We are well on track to rolling EV charging points out widely across our portfolio.”

The retail sites getting charge points encompass Gazelle Close, Reading; Harbour Road, Portishead, Bristol; Wellington Road Retail Park, Burton on Trent; St Catherine’s Leisure Park, Perth; Phoenix Leisure Park, Crewe; Coypool Retail Park, Plymouth; Duloch Park, Dunfermline; Kew Retail Park, Southport and Eastern Avenue Retail Park, Gloucester.

Meanwhile workplace charging facilities are now live at Willow Court, Oxford; Trafford Park, Manchester and Lochside Way, Edinburgh.