Digital Charging Solutions (DCS) was a joint venture set up by BMW and Daimler in an effort to create enough charging ports for their EV customers in Europe. Earlier this year it was announced that bp wanted to join in and the transaction that would’ve made it a full partner was ongoing. Today, the three companies announced that the deal was completed successfully and that bp now owns 33.3 percent of DCS, adding some 9,000 chargers to the network in the process.
That’s just a small step though. DCS already had access to more than 300,000 chargers in 30 countries before bp even joined the effort. However, the newly added company is planning to expand its portfolio by adding access to over 70,000 chargers worldwide by 2030. For now though, if you have an electric vehicle, you can access the newly added charging points in Germany (at Aral Pulse) and in the UK (at bp pulse).
“Our aim is to make charging as convenient as refueling at the pump – fast, reliable and highly integrated with the vehicle operating system to provide a great customer experience. We’re excited to have completed this transaction and look forward to working with our partners to continue to provide EV drivers with access to convenient charging where they need it,” said Richard Bartlett, bp senior vice president, future mobility & solutions.
“This collaboration brings our leading charging network a huge step forward. Especially the electrification of fleets and fleet management will see a comprehensive boost – we will jointly drive innovation, increase our customer focus and accelerate CO2 reduction. We welcome bp as a strong and progressive partner”, added Rainer Feurer, Senior Vice President of Investments at the BMW Group.
DCS’s services are essential for the electrification strategies of the automotive industry. The company works with premium and high volume OEMs to integrate its charging solutions into the vehicles’ operating systems and the OEMs’ digital ecosystems. Digital Charging Solutions GmbH stands behind the CHARGE NOW brand in the YOUR NOW Joint Ventures of BMW Group and Daimler Mobility AG and operates charging services such as “Mercedes me Charge”, “BMW Charging” and “MINI Charging”.
