Be.EV stumps up £20 million for ultra-rapid EV charging bays across Schroders Capital UK retail portfolio

Schroders Capital has agreed a partnership with Be.EV which will see more than 200 ultra-rapid EV charging bays installed across 22 of the former's managed retail and leisure properties in the UK.

The £20 million investment will see Be.EV fully fund the installation and maintenance of charging solutions at sites managed by five Schroders Capital real estate funds, including Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust and Schroders Capital UK Real Estate Fund.

Be.EV will install ultra-rapid Kempower chargers (up to 300kW) capable of delivering up to 325 miles of range in as little as 20 minutes on some of the UK’s most prominent retail and leisure parks, where retailers include Sainsburys, Aldi, Lidl, Costa Coffee, KFC, McDonalds, Nandos, Pizza Express, Starbucks, Marks & Spencer and Ikea.

Be.EV is majority owned by Octopus Energy Generation’s £1.5 billion Sky Fund, which has pledged £110 million of funding. The charging hubs, the majority featuring six to 12 charging bays, will be leased on a 20-year agreement with index linked market rents.

Legal agreements have been exchanged on the first three locations, with further exchanges expected imminently.

Asif Ghafoor, CEO at Be.EV, says: “Like the thousands of drivers who use our network each day, Be.EV is going places. This is a landmark deal for Be.EV and we are excited to help the big brands who occupy the retail parks in Schroders portfolio benefit from the increased footfall benefits EV charging brings. I would like to congratulate all the team at Be.EV for their hard work in securing this important deal.”

Matthew Baddeley, Lead Asset Manager at Schroders Capital, says: “Improving the UK electric charging network is essential in supporting the UK’s energy transition goals, whilst it also aligns with our own net zero targets. Be.EV's offering is highly compelling and we look forward to welcoming them to the Schroders Capital’s retail warehouse portfolio."

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Green retail will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.