Renewable energy supplier Good Energy has announced it has purchased a 12.9 per cent stake in electric vehicle (EV) charge point platform Zap-Map.
The deal will allow Good Energy, which is based in Chippenham in Wiltshire, to take a majority share within two years.
It will also help fund Bristol-based Zap-Map’s product development.
Both companies will collaborate on broader applications for the proprietary platform, while seeking to “maintain the exponential growth” of its EV user base.
Juliet Davenport, chief executive and founder of Good Energy, said: “The way we view energy is changing.
“Environmental challenge and digital opportunity are converging; intelligent power sharing is replacing conventional power supply.
“Localised generation, localised storage and localised sharing too. EVs bring power to life, and the rapid rise of incredibly useful apps like Zap-Map make the management of that power so much simpler – at home, at work, or on the go.”
Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder of Zap-Map, said: “Juliet and Good Energy share the understanding that the growth of EVs requires an entirely new mindset: a localised point-by-point power network and the ability to easily share or pay for electricity on a charge-by-charge basis.
“Together we can lead in the emerging energy sharing economy in which homes, businesses and EV owners will trade and exchange power using the local energy grids of the not-too-distant future.”
Zap-Map, which claims to have 70,000 regular monthly users, maps more than 11,000 charging devices across the UK.