Energy company EDF has acquired electric vehicle charger supplier Pod Point for an undisclosed sum, as part of a drive to become “the leading energy company for electric mobility in France, the UK, Italy and Belgium”.

The new deal means EV drivers will soon be able to schedule charging times and take advantage of cheaper electricity supply during off-peak times. EDF already offers financial incentives to electric vehicle owners under the ‘Go Electric’ banner, and says its acquisition of Pod Point will allow it to include charging point installations as part of its packages.

The energy company claims it is “the leading generator of low-carbon electricity in the UK, avoiding 18 million tonnes of CO2 last year”.

Pod Point produces charging units for private, public and commercial use and claims to have installed 62,000 devices across the UK since it was founded in 2009. Its founder, Erik Fairbairn, said: “We set out in 2009 with the vision that travel shouldn’t damage the Earth and a mission to put a charge point everywhere you park. So far, we have made great progress towards those goals.

“By joining up with EDF, we can take things to the next level and accelerate our national rollout of charging points and make it even easier for drivers across the UK to go electric.”

The news follows last week’s government announcement that the sale of new combustion-powered cars will be banned in 2035, or sooner if possible. The plans have been repeatedly criticised by industry leaders and experts, who claim the UK’s electric vehicle infrastructure is not ready to cope with a large-scale influx of zero-emissions cars.

In 2018, BP bought Pod Point rival Chargemaster for £130 million, giving the energy giant control of the charge point manufacturer’s 7000 public UK devices. The newly formed BP Chargemaster has begun rolling out its rapid chargers at fuel station forecourts nationwide.