Thrifty Car & Van Rental has started to roll out EV charge points across its UK network, tooling up for higher-demand for short- and long-term EV rentals.

The first 20 of Thrifty Car & Van Rental’s 85 UK sites have been upgraded to include charge points and full network completion is expected by 2023

It’s already equipped 20 strategically located sites as charging hubs and installed what’s said to be significant charging infrastructure at its headquarters in Exeter.

The rest of its 85-strong UK network will be fitted out with either 7kW or 22kW charging points by 2023.

The investment in its EV charging infrastructure complements Thrifty’s growing range of fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles on short- and long-term hire.

These include the BMW i3 and Jaguar I-Pace battery electric vehicles as well as plug-in hybrid vehicles such as the BMW 225xe Active Tourer, 330e, 530e, 745e and X5 45e, Range Rover Sport P400e and Volvo XC90 Recharge.

Thrifty expects to have more than 15 different BEV and PHEV models available to hire by the end of the year.

Martin Wilson, managing director, Thrifty Car & Van Rental UK, said: “Hiring an electrified car, either short- or long-term, can be a great way for people to see how it fits their lifestyle. We’ve seen a great demand for both BEVs and PHEVs in recent months, and so it’s important for us to ensure all our sites can offer customers the best possible EV experience.

“Expanding our EV charging network to include all of our sites is the next logical step in our electrification journey, to ensure that our customers continue to receive the exceptional level of service and support that they’ve come to expect.”