A few of the Best EV Startups in UK
A key part of the government’s 10-point plan for a green revolution is to accelerate the shift to zero emissions vehicles of all size. This will require the transition of industry incumbents, but also need the disruption provided by EV startups in the UK. This is a showcase of some of the promising EV start-ups that have been making waves in the UK.
Elmo
Elmo was only founded last year, but founders Luke and Oliver have progressed quickly towards their goal of the complete EV package (leasing, insurance, maintenance, and fuel). They recently won further funding from Innovate UK’s Sustainable Innovation Fund to expand further. They are looking to further capitalize a few trends — a rise in people looking for more flexible car ownership; growing demand for EVs and a need for simpler and more convenient car ownership. With these trends accelerating, Elmo are on the path to growth.
Check out Elmo here: https://elmodrive.com/
Bonnet
It is a problem that has been discussed ad nauseum in the UK, the inter-operability of EV charging networks. Most of Europe has sorted this issue of being able to roam on different networks, but unfortunately this is only really getting started in the UK. Whilst not an EV owner myself, from my experience at SHARE NOW EV carsharing there is demand for EV charging that is a little less complicated. This is where Bonnet steps in, they are creating a subscription for EV charging with multiple EV networks for fleets and EV owners. They are also helping CPOs understand the demand profiles of customers and the reliability of their network with their analytics platform.
Check out Bonnet here: https://www.bonnetelectric.com/
Ember
A few cities in the UK have introduced electric buses for intra-urban journeys, for example in London, but there has been little activity in inter-city routes. Ember is trying to solve the problem of zero-emission intercity coach travel. Although unfortunately not the best time to be launching public transport service, Ember launched their first route between Edinburgh and Dundee in 2020. Hopefully, Ember can follow in the footsteps of Flixbus in Europe and provide disruption to an industry dominated by stalwarts National Express and Megabus.
Check out Ember here: https://www.ember.to/
Zwings
Micro-mobility (cycling, bikeshare, e-scooters etc.) has experienced phenomenal growth across the world recently. E-scooters have taken the limelight recently in the UK, and one UK company is putting up a fight against the major players from Europe and North America. They have managed to get contracts in 6 towns and cities in the UK so far, and I expect many more will follow.
Check out Zwings here: https://www.zwings.co.uk/
Arrival
I could not do a roundup of UK EV startups without including the EV OEM Arrival. Arrival has designed two main products for the EV commercial market, their EV Van and EV intra-city bus. They have attracted funding from UPS, Kia, Hyundai, and blackrock to take their concept Van and bus to production. UPS themselves have put in an order for 10,000 vans to be rolled out by 2024, with the option for more. Arrival are looking to have a different approach to manufacturing than other traditional OEMs with micro factories for producing lower volumes at a higher margin. You can listen their president Avinash discuss their approach here. We know from the early history of EV startups that it is one thing to have the concept and another to get production to scale. Fingers crossed that Arrival overcomes that hurdle as it could become one of the biggest automotive OEMs to come out of the UK in decades.
Check out Arrival here: https://arrival.com/
