We’ve hit a huge milestone of 250,000 EV chargers
To celebrate the news that Pod Point has installed a quarter of a million EV chargers in the UK, we’re looking back at how we reached this achievement over our 15-year history.
18 Nov 2024
5 min read
15 years ago, the EV industry was still very much in its infancy, with just 55 EVs registered in the UK. But fast-forward just 15 years later and the industry couldn’t be more different, with 314,684 electric cars sold in 2023 alone and 299,733 sold so far in 2024.
Whilst the numbers have differed each year, one thing has remained constant: Pod Point’s commitment to making life with an EV easy and affordable for everyone. Over the last 15 years, we’ve provided EV charging systems for homes and businesses across the country, and constantly evolved our product and services to meet the high expectations that our customers have come to expect from us.
And now, we’ve become the first charging provider to install more than a quarter of a million chargers!
Having hit such a significant milestone, we thought we’d take a look back at all the other significant moments during our 15-year journey to becoming the home of EV living.
2009
Pod Point was founded in 2009 under the name Infracharge, with the mission of providing reliable, intelligent, and easy-to-use chargers to help facilitate the nation’s switch to electric cars. During this time, we developed our first chargepoint for public use called the POD Point, a dual-socketed charger which later became known as the Twin.
2010
Having changed our name to Pod Point, we began the development of our first single-socket chargepoint for homes with car manufacturer Nissan in Sunderland 2010. It was originally called the Pod Point Home (later renamed Solo), with the product officially launching for customers in 2011.
2015
2015 saw the development of the Pod Point App, giving drivers a completely new way to connect to and interact with the Pod Point charging ecosystem. With the app, drivers were able to access workplace chargers without needing an RFID card. It was officially launched in 2016, and later upgraded to let customers manage their home charging activity and access workplace chargers.
2018
In 2018, we became a supplier for Redrow Homes, one of the UK’s largest homebuilders, installing home EV chargers at new-build residential properties across the country, as well as Tesco supermarkets.
2019
Pod Point began its partnership with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in 2019, as well as partnering with homebuilders Bellway Homes and supermarket chain Lidl.
2020
One of the biggest chapters in our history occurred in 2020 when EDF, Britain’s biggest generator of zero-carbon electricity, acquired a majority stake in Pod Point, as part of a new joint venture with Legal & General Capital.
Pod Point also partnered with Barratt David Wilson Homes in 2020, which later went on to merge with Redrow to become Barratt Redrow in 2024.
2021
We launched a brand-new charger, the Solo 3. This solution was a marked upgrade on the previous model, up to 45% smaller and featuring a sleeker and more modern physical design.
2021 also saw Pod Point become the first EV charging provider to debut on the London Stock Exchange.
Three more partnerships were also secured in 2021, with Pod Point partnering with Mercedes in June, Mazda in October, and finally BMW in November.
2022
This year saw Pod Point act as a key consultant on significant new legislation from the government to further the UK’s transition to electric cars. The first was the Part S Regulations, which came into effect in June and was updated in December, requiring all new-builds, retrofit homes, and commercial buildings in England to be fitted with EV chargers.
The second was the Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021, which set about raising standards in the EV charging by mandating new smart functionality and enhanced security features.
2023
Pod Point proudly became a founding member of ChargeUK in April 2023, a trade association initially made up of 18 electric car charging providers acting as the voice of the EV charging industry. As of 2024, the group has over 40 members, including start-ups and associate members.
Later this year, Pod Point also partnered with She’s Electric, an initiative aimed at educating and informing women about EVs and giving women more of a voice in how the UK transitions to electric cars.
Pod Point also received a Which? Trusted Trader endorsement for our outstanding home installation service in 2023, as well as being voted ‘Best Home Charger 2023’ in a What Car? survey.
Pod Point also became an EV charging provider for retirement living developers McCarthy Stone in 2023.
As part of our Powering Up strategy, Pod Point also began entering into the Energy Flex market, starting with a pilot with energy supplier Centrica.
2024
This year was a significant year for Pod Point’s development, beginning in February with the appointment of Melanie Lane as CEO and hitting our 15th birthday in March.
Later on in May, we released our current Solo 3S home charging system. Among its many new features, the Solo 3S allowed Pod Point customers to charge their EVs using excess solar power generated by their solar panels, marking a significant step towards a greener and more sustainable future. It was awarded ‘Best Value Home Charger 2024’ by What Car?.
We also launched the new Installer App in May, designed to deliver a more efficient installation experience for our customers by making installations quicker and easier for our expert installer team.
Another significant event in 2024 was the launch of our new Plug & Power bundle, offering our award-winning Solo 3S for a lower upfront cost, with the rest spread across an exclusive 2-year fixed low cost energy tariff supplied by EDF.
Pod Point achieved another milestone in its Energy Flex strategy this year, starting a second pilot with EDF. Over 30,000 customers are participating in the trials, receiving rewards that reduce the cost of their electricity. We also became active in a total of four Energy Flex markets.
2025...?
As for where Pod Point is heading in 2025 and beyond, you’ll just have to wait and see. But we can safely say there are plenty of exciting things on the horizon for us, so be sure to watch this space!
And to the 250,000 (and counting) Pod Point customers: thank you for trusting us as your EV charging provider, and for helping us on our mission to make driving not cost the earth.