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Mer, a new entrant into the UK’s EV charging market, has partnered with the country’s leading motoring assistance firm, the AA, to help keep electric vehicle’s powered-up.
The deal will help ensure that drivers who have any issues charging their cars on Mer UK’s class-leading network will never be left without expertise to turn to.
Mer launched in the UK earlier this year with the aim of bringing the experience of Europe’s leading country for electric vehicle ownership, Norway, to the British market.
With the UK announcing it will ban sales of new diesel and petrol cars from 2030 onwards, businesses like Mer and the AA are working hard to build the infrastructure needed to support the shift to zero-emission electric vehicles.
This deal is about ensuring that one of the big fears consumers and businesses have around EV vehicles – what to do if they run out of charge or cannot power up – is reduced, with the AA customer service team there to help fix charger issues remotely should they arise.
Mer UK is owned by Norwegian energy giant Statkraft, Europe’s largest producer of renewable energy. Statkraft recently debuted on the European EV charging market with the newly created brand Mer, a consolidation of its EV charging businesses under one identity.
The aim is for Mer to become a European leader in sustainable EV charging, with a focus both on using renewable energy as the source of power, and on creating the best experience possible for EV drivers.
Mer UK’s customer support helpline, now managed by the AA, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The trained customer service team will assist EV drivers if they encounter difficulties whilst at Mer UK charge points.
The AA team will also be supported by Mer’s best-in-class operator portal, ensuring the AA’s customer service team can remotely manage the network’s charge points, including performing real time diagnosis as well as correcting any potential errors. This system helps ensure not only up-time for the chargers themselves, but minimises engineer call-out, supporting sustainability.
Anthony Hinde, Mer UK Managing Director says: “We are excited to be developing our partnership with the AA, the UK’s leading breakdown service company, and a company that has been supporting UK drivers with exceptional service for many years.”
“The rapid development of the UK’s EV charging infrastructure calls for the right level of support to EV drivers. In particular, as well as accelerating and diversifying charging points to include businesses and other locations where cars often spend a lot of time parked up, there is a need for dedicated support if something goes wrong with the chargers.” – Anthony Hinde, Mer UK Managing Director
“This partnership with the AA does exactly that. Together, we will help deliver an exceptional EV charging experience, helping drivers feel less fear about switching to guilt-free driving and benefitting from the cost and environmental benefits electric vehicles bring.”
Dean Hedger, EV New Business Development Manager at the AA, said: “With EV adoption accelerating in the UK, it is vital those drivers who make the switch receive a positive experience from day one.”
“Like us, Mer UK believes in delivering customer service and innovation which ensures drivers feel supported and remain on the move. We’re delighted to add this partnership to the growing number of organisations tapping into the AA’s EV Support Service. This is vital recognition of the importance of the driver when deploying EV infrastructure.” – Dean Hedger, The AA EV New Business Development Manager
Commenting on the recent 2030 electric vehicle target issued by the UK Government Edmund King, AA president, said: “The 2030 target is incredibly ambitious, but the transformation to electric cars is very welcome. Consistently, the barriers to EV ownership are the initial cost of the car and availability, perceived single-charge range anxiety and charging infrastructure – particularly for the third of drivers without off-street parking. If we can tackle these issues with considerable investment and focus, the electric revolution will flourish.”
Anthony added: “A critical part of the EV charging infrastructure that needs developing is at work locations. Although the average daily distance UK drivers is less than 30 miles, having the ability to charge your vehicle during the day while you are at work will significantly reduce people’s fears around running out of power.
“If you couple this with accelerating the transition of work vehicles to EVs too – and again the typical delivery van daily mileage now falls easily within electric van range – the UK will be well poised to meet the Government’s aim to decarbonise transport.”
Mer is a European EV charging company, backed by Statkraft, Europe’s largest renewable energy generator. By bringing together its extensive expertise in renewable energy and electric mobility, Mer is on a mission to make EV charging simple, sustainable, and accessible to everyone. In the UK, Mer delivers complete EV charging solutions to businesses and local authorities, helping power the shift to purer transportation across Europe.
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