EV infrastructure: Anyone got a charger?

Source: IPE Real Assets

The November 2021 edition of IPE Real Assets shines a spotlight on the need to scale charging infrastructure to support rapidly growing interest in electric vehicles. Victor Mok, chairman and CEO of the Asset Service Platform business of GLP China, shares his views with Florence Chong:

“The adoption of EV trucks is still relatively in its early days, even in China. But we expect the take-up rate to accelerate very quickly over the next 12-24 months. “GLP has developed its own EV-charging infrastructure ecosystem in China. We have installed solar-powered charging stations across 20% of our portfolio – a small number today, but given the vast opportunity set, we expect this business to grow significantly over time.”

A partnership with Contemporary Amperex Technology, which develops new energy solutions, including battery-operated commercial trucks and energy storage for rooftop solar panels, “completes the picture”, Mok says. “It is a virtuous-cycle system and EV charging stations are part of the new energy ecosystem.”

GLP is already China’s largest platform for distributed solar energy. In time, Mok says, GLP logistics parks in other markets, such as Japan and Europe, will have similar onsite charging stations.

Looking ahead, Mok says: “We are exploring a system where trucks will be able to charge while they load or unload, and they will also be able to de-charge excess energy back into our system.”

Read more: (subscription may be required): https://realassets.ipe.com/transport/ev-infrastructure-anyone-got-a-charger/10056454.article