Kople acquires Bellona’s charging network

These charging points have now become part of Kople’s charging network. Bellona contacted Kople when they decided it was an appropriate time for an established EV Charging Point Operator (“CPO”) to take over their nationwide charging network for further development.

Frederic Hauge, Founder of Bellona, said: “We established eRoute71 to fulfill the need for EV charging infrastructure in Norway. Since then, major players have established themselves and our job is complete. We are very pleased that a company like Kople, which is an excellent CPO, is taking over the company.”

Joar Brunes, CEO of Kople, commented: “The locations where Bellona has set up charging points are attractive and well-visited. Bellona has had good working relationships with site owners, which are expected to continue. These site owners were early movers forecasting the need and possibility of facilitating EV charging. We will ensure that the charging offer remains relevant and user-friendly. This means offering reliable and simple payment solutions on chargers, visibility in charging maps and expanding the locations when we see that charging customers require a larger charging network. Now that electric car sharing is much more common than in 2014, several of the locations are already ready for expansion.”

Kople provides destination charging and is constantly working to create charging offers in places where people stay for long durations. EV drivers often want to charge closer to where they are, instead of stopping to charge along the way. Such charging, which often takes place overnight, also makes better use of the power grid. Destination charging is thus important for further electrification of the EV passenger car market.

Joar Brunes added: “Our focus on destination charging is getting a boost, thanks to the fact that the eRoute71 charging points are joining the Kople charging network. We are proud that Bellona has trusted us to bring eRoute71 to a higher level!”