Real estate company Colliers International has been appointed by The EV Network (EVN) to identify prominent, high traffic sites on the UK's road network for the roll out of rapid and ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

The appointment comes following the announcement of a major partnership between the independent charging infrastructure development firm The EV Network and bp pulse, previously known as bp chargemaster who ran the Polar network, which will see the charging network grow with a mixture of state-of-the-art charging hubs, super hubs, and e-forecourts.

Colliers has been tasked to identify roadside locations across England, Wales and Scotland for EVN to develop into hubs of up to 12 rapid/ultra-fast chargers.

The EV Network is also looking to open a number of e-forecourts with up to 24 ultra-fast chargers (300kW) with on-site solar PV and battery storage systems supplied by Leclanche SA, as well as associated retail, food and beverage, and convenience facilities for drivers waiting for their vehicles to be charged.

John Roberts, head of Roadside & Automotive at Colliers, said: "Demand for reliable electric vehicle charging is increasing, especially in light of the Government's decision to stop selling fossil fuel powered vehicles by 2030. So far the installation of EV chargers has been particularly challenging. However, with dedicated infrastructure development companies such as The EV Network taking the lead and partnering with charge point operators this will accelerate the programme and cater for the huge demand in the coming years.

"We will be looking to identify a wide range of prominent and roadside opportunities for The EV Network in order to meet the needs drivers from across the UK."

Matthew Guest, Property Acquisition Manager at The EV Network, said: "Colliers has a strong roadside market reputation, and we're excited to see the opportunities they can bring to us. It's essential that the EV charging network grows quickly to meet the increasing demand, but is also targeted in the right locations."