BP Pulse, the electric vehicle charging business of BP, formerly known as British Petroleum, announced plans to build a network of large EV fast-charging hubs to serve ride-hailing and taxi fleets at major airports and other high-traffic locations in the U.S.
The announcement Wednesday follows a Sept. 27 joint announcement from BP Pulse and Hertz to develop a national network of EV charging stations at Hertz locations, which would serve Hertz EV customers, taxi and ride-share drivers and the general public. Speaking at September’s MOVE America conference in Austin, Texas, Hertz Senior Vice President of Operations Initiatives Jeff Nieman said the company’s “goal is to normalize” EVs for everyone.
The first EV charger installation will be near Los Angeles International Airport, partially funded by a $2 million grant from the California Energy Commission. Vic Shao, president of BP Pulse’s fleet division, said in a press release that “our Gigahub network will provide a charging experience that is convenient and cost-optimized to drivers at airports across the country.”
BP looks to expand its global network of chargers to 100,000 by 2030, the company said in a press release. Hertz wants one-quarter of its fleet to be electric by the end of 2024, according to the September announcement.
Uber drivers can rent an electric vehicle from Hertz, and Uber offers other incentives for drivers to switch to EVs. Lyft is also helping drivers convert to EVs, aiming for 100% electric vehicles across the Lyft platform by 2030.
Lead California Energy Commissioner for Transportation Patty Monahan said in the BP press release that “ride-hailing fleets make up 2.5 percent of the vehicle population [in California], but consume 30 percent of all public fast charging.”
