Leicester-based property investor Custodian REIT has struck a deal to install EV charging points across its portfolio.
The business is working with EV charging provider Pod Point as part of its wider ESG (environmental, social, and governance) strategy to improve the energy performance of its properties.
As well as putting in green car chargers the REIT is investing in on-site carbon reducing technology, infrastructure and onsite renewables across all its retail warehousing sites by 2025. It is also planning a phased roll out across its office and industrial assets.
The agreement will see Pod Point install rapid EV chargers at 12 sites over 2022 and 2023 for use by Custodian’s commercial tenants. All of the electricity used to power the chargepoints will come from renewable energy sources.
Each retail location will be installed with at least four rapid charging bays and be made available at a competitive rate to retail customers.
The retail rollout will include the following nine sites: 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; Eastern Avenue Retail Park, Gloucester.
Meanwhile workplace charging facilities are now live at Willow Court, Oxford, Trafford Park, Manchester and Lochside Way, Edinburgh.
Richard Shepherd-Cross, managing director of Custodian Capital – the REIT’s external fund manager – 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.”
Pod Point chief executive Erik Fairbairn said: “ESG has become an imperative for many investors and we’re delighted to be working with Custodian REIT to help them achieve their ambitious goals in this area.”
