American ultrafast charger producer FreeWire plots UK expansion

6 Apr 2023
FreeWire charger

American electric vehicle charge point manufacturer FreeWire Technologies is aiming for rapid expansion in Europe, including a substantially enlarged presence in the UK.

The Californian company, which was founded in 2014, will open a new European headquarters in Banbury, Oxfordshire, will will held drive its efforts to expand the use of its high-speed battery-integrated chargers in the region. 

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FreeWire’s ultra-fast Boost Chargers feature a built-in battery, so they can work with a low-voltage grid connection and store up energy slowly for when it is needed. As a result, the company says they can be installed six times faster than ultra-fast units that require a high-speed grid connection, and for around 20 per cent less cost.

The firm offers the charges to retail, fleet and business customers. The new European HQ in Banbury will open on April 19, and features a demonstration centre. It comes as FreeWire has expanded into four countries in the last year, with plans to substantially increase its presence in the UK, Ireland, Benelux region, Spain and Italy during the rest of the year.

“We have increased our headcount by 70 per cent and deployed Boost Chargers in four new countries just in the last 12 months,” said FreeWire’s European sales boss, James Jean-Louis. “We see a major opportunity to offer reliable, flexible, and cost-effective infrastructure that can be deployed quickly to support the rapid increase in demand for ultrafast EV charging in Europe.”

FreeWire has so far deployed Boost Chargers in Europe in partnership with energy giant BP, Belgian car dealership chain Bauwelinck and Spanish fuel station operator Otamar.

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