A Chat with Patrick Reich, CEO and Co-Founder at EV Charging Point Provider: Bonnet

Bonnet is a user-friendly platform that aggregates EV charge points across numerous charging networks, allowing EV drivers to use and identify available charging points through one simple app.

My co-founder Eliot and I created Bonnet to make the process of charging electric vehicles easier than ever. One of the most common reservations amongst motorists making the switch to electric is with ‘range anxiety’ – the fear of running out of power before reaching their end destination. Whilst these feelings are valid, we quickly realised that charge anxiety is the more appropriate issue facing drivers. EV users are fearful that they either won’t be able to easily use a nearby chargepoints or they will be out of service – Bonnet alleviates both of these problems.

We’re the only app that has all chargers directly connected to the charge point operator hardware, which provides users with live data to let them know which chargepoints are available. As well as this, we utilise community submitted data to makes the app’s information even more reliable.

Pricing on the app also guarantees competitive charging rates to EV drivers through dynamic monthly refill plans. Our Pay As You Go plan charges drivers a standard rate of 35p per kWh – but purchasing a refill plan lowers the rate of the kWh, with any unused refill automatically rolled over to your next month. This payment method allows drivers to better understand of how much they are paying to drive each month and also means they will no longer have to deal with the complicated different ways individual chargepoints ask drivers to pay.
 
 

 

How did you come up with the idea for Bonnet?

 
I met Eliot, the co-founder of Bonnet, during our studies at university. We were doing research into the V2G space as part of a project, which consequently provided us with a lot of exposure into the industry. Part of the research involved speaking with EV drivers, which highlighted many of the everyday issues they faced with charging.

As an EV driver myself, the points being raised reinforced my own frustrations, and so myself and Eliot decided to create a user-friendly charging experience that was missing from the market.
 

 

How has Bonnet evolved since it was founded?

 
We recently achieved a big milestone and raised $5.5m in funding from renowned investors including Lightspeed, GV, and 20VC. This will support the expansion of charging coverage and the growth of our team.

Expanding our international presence in new markets is also one of our long term focuses. While we currently operate in mainland Europe, we would like to accelerate this growth, and foster further research and development into new features and revenue streams.
 

What can we hope to see from Bonnet in the future?

 
Bonnet currently covers over 20,000 charging locations and 50,000 charging points with networks such as Shell Recharge, ESB and Char.gy available through the app. While we’re pleased with the rapid progress made so far, continuing to expand our chargepoint offering is one of our core priorities and we plan to offer semi-public and private chargers to the network soon.

We also have plans to launch Bonnet Premium, which will offer users additional features to enhance the overall EV driving experience including route planning, and direct car connectivity, allowing users to read the state of charge in real time for 16 different car models.