Believ's Matt Croucher on the challenges and opportunities for local authorities

16/10/2024

Author: Mankirat Kaur

As the UK inches closer to its ambitious target of installing 300,000 electric vehicle (EV) charge points by 2030, many questions linger about the pace of development, especially in on-street charging. Matt Croucher, chief commercial officer at Believ, offers insights into the critical role local authorities are playing in this transition.

Croucher, who has an extensive background in transport planning and consultancy, now leads Believ’s commercial efforts, including the sales, property, bid writing and marketing departments. Having transitioned from advising local authorities to working with a charge point operator, Croucher brings a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities in the EV charging space.

From transport consultancy to charge point operator

Croucher’s journey from transport consultancy to Believ reflects the rapid changes in the EV landscape. "I first got involved in EVs back in 2009 when they were still a niche concept," Croucher recalled. "At that time, EVs were a small part of what I did, but over the years, it became clear that EV uptake was the future." After nearly two decades advising local authorities on sustainable transport solutions, Croucher shifted to Believ, eager to play a more hands-on role in delivering charging infrastructure.

Founded in late 2021, Believ is a joint venture between Liberty Global (the owner of Virgin Media O2) and Zouk Capital, manager of the HM Treasury-backed Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF). Croucher emphasised the importance of the company’s strong financial backing, noting, "Charge point infrastructure is a long-run investment. You need strong backers, and we’re fortunate to have that with our investors." This backing allows Believ to offer a full range of charging solutions, from on-street fast chargers to rapid hubs in car parks, giving local authorities the flexibility to tailor infrastructure to their specific needs – at zero cost.

The 2030 target: opportunities and obstacles

The UK government’s target of 300,000 charge points by 2030 is an ambitious one, and while significant progress has been made, Croucher identified challenges in the on-street charging sector. "Nationwide, the rollout has been good, especially in terms of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers," he explained. However, on-street charging—which is crucial for residents without access to off-street parking—has been slower to progress.

"The challenge has been with the LEVI (Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) fund," Croucher said. "While well-intentioned, the administration of the fund has been slow, delaying local authorities from issuing tenders and getting the infrastructure in place." According to Croucher, this has created a bottleneck in the on-street charging market. "We’ve been ready to rollout infrastructure for the last two or three years, but without local authorities being able to access their LEVI funding, we’ve been stuck." Despite these delays, Croucher remains optimistic about hitting the 2030 target. "We’re finally starting to see some movement. A few LEVI tenders have been issued, and we expect around 24 more by the end of the year. If the timelines hold, we can still hit those targets."

Working with local authorities

Believ’s strength lies in its ability to work closely with local authorities, providing tailored, fully funded charging solutions. "We offer a fully funded model, meaning that even if a local authority doesn’t have grant funding, we can still deploy infrastructure," Croucher explained. This flexibility allows Believ to cater to a wide range of needs and objectives.

"Every council has different priorities," Croucher noted. "Some prefer slow and fast chargers, others want rapid hubs, and some want a blend of  different options. Our job is to understand those objectives and build a network that works for their specific circumstances." In many cases, Believ operates on a 15 to 20-year concession, assuming responsibility for funding, maintaining, and operating the infrastructure, all while ensuring high reliability and uptime.

“We're not forcing a solution on a local authority, we can listen to them, work with them and give them exactly what is right for their local residents and for their local stakeholders, and we've got the backing and the capability to do it,” he says.

Inclusive and accessible charging

One of the innovative projects Croucher discussed was Believ’s work with the Redbridge and Waltham Forest councils to roll out accessible on-street charging solutions funded by the LEVI Pilot Fund. Believ has designed on-street charging bays that cater to drivers with mobility limitations, developed through design workshops with experts from Motability Operations, Energy Saving Trust (EST). "The challenge with on-street charging is that space is tight, and there are safety concerns with live carriageways right next to the bays," Croucher explained.

Believ held workshops with stakeholders, including disabled drivers, to design more accessible bays. "This is a project we’re passionate about. As a country, we need to ensure that everyone can benefit from the EV transition, and that includes people with mobility issues," he said. Believ’s mission statement of "not leaving anyone behind" is at the heart of projects like these, which aim to make charging infrastructure as inclusive as possible. Croucher hopes to discuss this further in his panel discussion at the UK Charging Infrastructure Symposium.

Pitfalls to avoid when rolling out infrastructure

Drawing on his extensive experience, Croucher offered advice on the common pitfalls local authorities should avoid when rolling out EV infrastructure. "First and foremost, you need to understand the use case for each location," he said. "For instance, an on-street charger outside someone’s home can be slower because the vehicle will likely be parked overnight, often resulting in cheap overnight tariffs, which works really well. However, for a short-stay car park, you need faster chargers to make it worth the driver’s time. In this case, people want to be in and out as quickly as possible: nobody wants to spend longer at a petrol station or a motorway service area than they have to, and it's the same for any on route charger.”

Another key consideration is the host authority’s objectives: "Is the council trying to generate revenue, or are they more focused on providing a service at a low cost? Those objectives will shape the charging strategy," Croucher advised.  “Also, does the local authority want to put all of the risk onto the charge point operator and just have a fixed annual bay fee so they know what they're getting every year and that's fine? Or do they potentially want a share in the profit? The latter means they'll take a percentage share of any future revenues or profits, and that, in turn, means that if the charge points aren’t well used, the risk is they won't get as much money there, but if the charge point utilisation rate is good, they get the upside of that extra revenue.”

Finally, he highlighted the importance of working with a reliable charge point operator. "The market is crowded, there are 60-70 charge point operators in the UK - not all operators will survive in the long run. As a local authority, you certainly do not want to be dealing with the fallout from that, so they need to ensure they’re partnering with a company that has the financial backing and commitment to stick around."

Looking ahead

As local authorities ramp up their efforts to install EV charging infrastructure, Croucher underscored the importance of political will. "Rolling out EV charging is inherently contentious," he said. "Parking is always a heated issue, and introducing EV chargers into the mix can trigger opposition from residents. It’s important for councils to engage stakeholders but also to have the conviction to move forward."

Despite these challenges, Croucher is optimistic about the future of EV charging in the UK. With the right mix of funding, political will, and strategic partnerships, he believes the country can meet its 2030 targets while ensuring that no one is left behind in the transition to electric vehicles. "We’re excited to be part of that journey," he concluded, "and we look forward to continuing to work with local authorities, businesses and landowners to deliver solutions that benefit everyone."

Matt Croucher will be part of the panel discussion 'Councils in Action – innovative projects and initiatives that local authorities are spearheading with Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funds’ at the UK Charging Infrastructure Symposium (10:00 – 10:30, 4 November). CLICK HERE to book your delegate pass!