Elm EV, an electric vehicle charging station installation company, recently launched its first crowdfunding campaign — with the aim being to raise more than £200,000 in new funding.
The new funding that’s raised will reportedly be used to develop a new range of charging station products/models, and also to hire new promotional staff — with the intention being to increase public and private sector awareness of the technology/solution. Expansion into international markets is also a stated aim.
“The growth of the ultra-low emission vehicle industry is phenomenal and we are in a great position,” stated Anthony Piggott, Elm EV’s technical director. “This is a one-off opportunity for members of the public, enthusiasts and investors to help build the EV charging infrastructure and to be a part of the fast-paced industry, reaping the rewards.”
The crowdfunding campaign allows investors to directly purchase shares of the company — which was created in 2013, and is valued (according to the crowd-funding campaign) at £2.25 million.
As Elm EV is currently one of the only companies that’s certified to install fast electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the UK, the bet doesn’t seem to be a bad one for those so inclined — as an EV fast-charger buildout seems likely in the UK at some point in the coming decade.
The company generally works with large industry players, such as Nissan GB, to provide commercial customers with charging equipment, amongst other things. The company is, notably, one of the charging station providers for the NHS commercial electric vehicle fleet — which is still growing.
With the UK having seen quite a surge in EV and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales in 2015, I’m not going to state outright that Elm EV makes a good investment, but I am going to say that a good argument could be made that it does.