There are a number of developments going on at the moment as part of our three year transformation programme, but there is one particular new venture that we wanted to highlight: Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging points.
Leading us into this exciting new world is James Turner, Head of Propositions. James joined us in July 2018 having previously worked for both Centrica and E-On. His background in Products and Propositions have led him to working on a number of projects ranging from a new loyalty scheme, an online only energy product, and entry into the residential Solar Market. I spoke with James to get the latest on EV and what it means for us.
James, there has been a lot of movement of late over the Total Group regarding EV, can you tell us what TGP have been up to?
JT: We have signed an agreement with ChargePoint, a one-stop shop for EV charging, in which we can sell their products and services to our customers. ChargePoint are known for the quality of their products and software, are the largest EV charging network in the US, and are looking to grow in the European market. Our customers are telling us that they are interested in EV charging and now we have an end-to-end solution for them.
What does this partnership mean for TGP?
JT: This will add to our product range, provide the opportunity to deepen relationships and retain existing TGP customers, and attract new ones with a new offering.
What impacts, if any, will this have on the day to day work of people here at TGP?
JT: We will be selling the products to our customers and invoicing them directly for this, so there will be some impact. Our major business sales colleagues have already been trained on the offering, as have other impacted people that will need to support.
When do you envisage this project will really gather momentum? Any big contracts on the horizon?
JT: This year has mostly been about getting the partnership set up and ensuring that the right processes are in place, with the intent to ramp up sales activity in 2019. However, there is a significant contract with one of our customers for 6 dual charging stations close to completion. We have also had one of ChargePoint’s flagship charging stations installed at the Redhill site so our employees can see it, and we’ve had some demo units on site in the last few weeks.
Where do TGP go from here in the world of EV?
JT: We need to listen to what our customers are telling us about our offering and what they want, and evolve accordingly. This could lead into integrated energy and EV propositions or financing solutions, for instance.
Is there anything else we can expect from Propositions in the near future?
JT: There are some significant things on the horizon. We are helping to launch our Total Solar offering in the UK, and we are also carrying out some research into the SME market with the aim of refreshing our product set based on customer insight.
Expect to hear more on EV over the coming months as this new project really takes off!
This is a major shift in the market and a great step forward for TGP. To put it into perspective, an article published on the BBC website this week suggests most of us could well have bought our last petrol/diesel powered car, and within 20 years the combustion engine could be a thing of the past. Watch this space…
