Public Funding for Bonnet Ltd

There are a number of challenges to the roll out and uptake of Electric Vehicles in rural areas, these include (but are not limited to): * The availability of public charge points * The power network and supply to support reliable and fast charging * Digital Connectivity to allow payment, availability and booking platforms to operate, etc * The roadside space to provide 'on street' options * The complexities of installing infrastructure in sensitive areas (National Parks, SSSIs, Conservation areas etc) * Managing peaks in demand brought by seasonal visitors to the area The opportunity brought by this funding competition allows the consortium to approach the challenge with complimentary solutions which are replicable in any rural locations. The first is the 'Cold Mapping' tool. This is a multi-layered tool which looks at a number of data-sets to understand the baseline data. This includes current charging point provision, power network constraints, population, demand etc. Crucially it will also be able to consider the seasonal fluctuations in demand that, primarily car based, tourism will have on the charge point network's ability to meet demand. This tool is replicable across many different rural locations, and the datasets used can be specific to the challenges in various areas being examined. We will also look at the possibility of increasing charge point access and utilisation through the integration of privately and business-owned charge points into the wider charging network through an innovative solution which facilitates a 'smart' peer-to-peer (P2P) charging option. We will examine 'holistic energy management': effectively how to make rural areas more independent of the mains grid in relation to EV energy needs, for example by equipping car parks with solar panels that are not necessarily tied to the grid. There is currently no framework or evaluation tool that can be easily adopted across all rural areas in the UK. This is because the needs are different in different parts of the country. The outcome of this project will help the local authorities and providers draw a more informed route to decarbonisation and support rural communities in both the move to zero carbon and the sustainability of the tourist industry.

Bonnet allows EV drivers to charge at any public charger with a single app and monthly subscription. It will disrupt the complicated, predatory and fragmented EV charging market in the UK. Bonnet specifically targets EV owners and potential EV owners who live in cities and/or do not have access to off-street parking. For this group, easy access to public charging is imperative for EV ownership. As a solution, Bonnet incorporates three core innovations: **ACCESS** Bonnet provides a single-point-of-use for EV drivers to access all charge networks without multiple subscriptions. **CHEAPER & HARMONISED PRICING** Bonnet provides standardised tariffs across the market - a constant price per kWh with no extra plug-in fees, overstay fees, etc. We are also \>20% cheaper than any other charger-aggregating competitor because we integrate directly with CPOs without going through costly third-party roaming hubs. This brings down cost of ownership, making it more fair for drivers with no access to off-street parking/home charging. **INFORMATION** Through direct integration with individual CPOs, Bonnet provides CPOs with valuable information about charger usage, driver behaviour and insights about where to place further chargers. Suggestions/issues/comments are directly transferred from the drivers to the owner of a charge point and are resolved more rapidly. Drivers receive full information about their charging such as the energy mix breakdown, CO2 saved, money saved and much more. GDPR-compliant data insights can also be provided to the National Grid, DNOs and government bodies to offer energy flexibility and crucial information for infrastructure expansion.