Ford partners with Centrica for UK EV services

30 July 2019

Ford has come together with Centrica to offer electric vehicle (EV) services in the UK and Ireland.

Under the planned partnership, Centrica will deliver a dedicated home charging installation service – and electrified vehicle tariffs from British Gas and Bord Gáis Energy – that will allow Ford customers to benefit from lower energy prices for overnight charging as the new range of Ford electrified vehicles is launched.

Centrica will also make its installation service available to support Ford’s dealership networks across the UK and Ireland.

′Ford is committed to delivering one of the most comprehensive line-ups of electrified vehicles for our customers, powered through the Ford home charger Wall Boxes,’ said Andy Barratt, managing director, Ford of Britain.

′With their scale, experience and access to the electric grid, our partnership with Centrica will enable us to offer a one-stop-shop for our customers as they transition to an electrified vehicle, including exciting new vehicle options, wall box, installation service and electricity tariff.’

EV expansion

The carmaker is looking to make an impact on the EV market after being perceived by many as being one of those currently lagging behind the curve.  

Every new Ford passenger vehicle nameplate in Europe will include an electrified option; mild hybrid, full hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full battery-electric. Upcoming all-electric models include an all-new, Mustang-inspired performance SUV with a range of 370 miles coming in late 2020; an all-electric Transit in 2021; and a new high-volume Ford model on Volkswagen’s MEB battery electric vehicle platform planned to be built in Europe for 2023. 

′We’re committed to helping our customers to make the transition to a lower-carbon future and are proud to be supporting Ford with the launch of their new electric vehicle range,’ says Sarwjit Sambhi, CEO of Centrica Consumer.

′I believe we are uniquely positioned to help customers at home and in business to make the shift to electric vehicles, harnessing the power of our global network of over 13,000 technicians and engineers to deliver solutions that are simpler, faster and more affordable for consumers.’

Continued development

Last year, Centrica announced a multi-million euro investment in Driivz, an Israeli start-up that offers end-to-end software solutions for EV charging. The business has developed a cloud-based EV charging operating system that is already used by over 200,000 drivers across the globe.

The energy firm is also integrating the Driivz platform into a new intelligent EV charging service offer for businesses from Centrica Electric Vehicle Services (CEVS). The fully-managed solution has been developed to meet the needs of organisations that want EV charging facilities for their employees and/or their depot-based fleets.