Electric vehicle charge point operator Believ pursues northern expansion with Leeds office

It will be a hub from which Believ aims to engage with new local authority and business customers and extend the company’s regional presence.

Believ, is the trading name of Liberty Charge Limited, an electric vehicle charge point operator, which installs, operates, and maintains all speeds of publicly accessible charge points at no cost to both the public and private sectors.

A spokesman said the new Leeds office employs eight staff and is set for rapid expansion in 2024.

The spokesman added: “By further expanding its geographical reach, Believ will be able to provide enhanced localised support for local authorities and businesses seeking to deliver upon sustainability targets and provide publicly accessible charging networks to customers and staff at zero cost.

“The new offices will also help accelerate the roll-out of the convenient and reliable network of publicly accessible charge points that the UK so desperately needs. This is particularly pertinent given that the gap between the North and South in terms of charging infrastructure is proving a barrier to further EV (electric vehicle) uptake and adoption.

“Recent figures from Zapmap show the gap still remains wide. London has 131 EV chargers per 100,000 people compared with just 31 per 100,000 in the North-West and 36 per 100,000 in Yorkshire, two areas in the UK with the least number of public access EV chargers.

"To address this Believ will take action to improve regional infrastructure and accelerate the switch away from petrol and diesel vehicles in the area.”

Guy Bartlett, the chief executive at Believ, inset, said tackling regional disparities must be a priority for charge point operators.

He added: “While businesses and local authorities are investing and increasing the number of charge points available to the public, we must ensure that regions and local communities are not left out. If we don’t, we risk a North-South divide coming in the way of large-scale EV adoption.

“Opening our Leeds office backs our mission to deliver ‘cleaner air for all’ and do our bit to deliver the national Government’s ambition of installing 300,000 publicly accessible charge points by 2030.

"If EV infrastructure is insufficient, adoption will take a hit, and it is the responsibility of CPOs like us to provide a means to a sustainable end.”

Believ is funded by Liberty Global Ventures and Zouk Capital, the manager of the Treasury-backed Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF).

The statement added:”Believ partners with sister company Virgin Media O2 in the deployment of charging infrastructure, enabling the installation of charge points at scale and pace throughout the UK.”