New EV charging provider brings business to Sale

Sale has become home to a new electric vehicle (EV) charge point start-up. 

Charge-m8 is a vertically integrated charge-point manufacturer, installer and charge-point operator.

Founded by Altrincham entrepreneur and CEO Julian Smith, the business has found a home at Mirwell Business Centre on Carrington Lane in Sale. The company has big plans to offer full national UK coverage by the end of 2022, creating up to six new jobs in the local area and a total of 12 across the UK.

Charge-m8 installations are carried out by their own in-house fully qualified engineers, “the only way that we can 100 per cent guarantee the quality of each and every installation is to do it ourselves”, says Iain Hughes, Charge-m8’s chief technical officer. 

“While most businesses would use sub-contract labour at this stage, we want to be true to our ethos and offer the very best from day one” he continued.

Focusing on a core range of Charge-m8 branded charge points, augmented by other premium EV charger brands such as Ohme, EO and Wallbox, Charge-m8 offers a growing range of EV charging options for the home and workplace. 

“The market is definitely accelerating fast” says CEO Julian Smith.

“It’s amazing to think that in March this year the top two new cars sold in the UK were both electric, and there’s no sign of that trend changing as we move towards the deadline for sales of combustion engine vehicles”. 

Julian added, “we have already built a strong platform with free smartphone apps that give access to thousands of charge-points across the UK and Europe and we’re busy developing our range to meet the new EV charge-point standards being introduced this year”.

EV charging etiquette

Ever wondered what the etiquette is when it comes to allowing friends and family to share your home charge point?

According to Iain, “you wouldn’t ordinarily pay to put fuel in a friend’s car, so why would you let them charge at your home for free?” 

“Especially when the cost to fully charge a typical full EV is around £15-£18”.

Charge-m8 has an eloquent solution for this potentially embarrassing (and friendship-ending) situation, as their latest charge points can be set up to have QR codes displayed for guests and visitors to scan with any smartphone, opening a simple one-page form to set up a one-off charging session. 

“It’s really simple to use; guests just scan the QR code, enter their card details on a secure page, we process the payment and the charge point owner gets the payment less the credit card fees and a small administration charge,” said Julian. 

As with workplace charging options, the charge-point owner sets the price charged, so they are always in control. “The system is a good example of technology solutions designed for workplace charging being used in home installations,” says Iain, “we have also just launched a voucher system for hospitality and retail clients, so they can offer EV drivers free charging to attract more custom to their sites.”

Are you considering switching to an EV in the future? 🔋