French utility Total is set to acquire a major electric vehicle chargepoint network from the Balloré Group.
The 1,600 strong Source London network, which partners with around 20 London Boroughs, was launched in 2010 by a TfL-led consortium. It was later spun out and ultimately ended up under the control of French conglomerate Groupe Bolloré, funders of AutoLib, Paris’ on-street EV hire scheme.
Bolloré used Source London to support its fleet of around 400 Blue City hatchback EVs. However the cars, made under a joint venture with Pininfarina, frequently suffered operational issues while maintenance costs were reportedly high. They were also expensive to hire.
Citing “operational constraints”, Blue City’s London operation closed for business February 2020, 18 months after AutoLib failed in Paris. At that time, Source London had said it was on track to hit 3,000 chargers this year, though those plans appear to have been hit by the impact of Covid.
Total said the transaction, expected to complete by the year-end, would have no impact on Source London subscribers. It committed to continue to power the network with renewable electricity.
Total aims to amass a 150,000-strong EV chargepoint network within five years.
Details here.
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