Be.EV has acquired Mer’s UK public charging network in a move that adds more than 1,600 charging bays across over 450 sites, and significantly expands the company’s presence in the South of England.
With the deal, Be.EV has grown from a public charging operator that was mostly focused on the North of England, with the majority of its chargers located around Manchester, to a truly nationwide provider. In fact, the addition of Mer’s network triples the number of chargers available to Be.EV customers, and propels the firm to be among the UK’s top 10 networks for rapid and ultra-rapid charging capacity.
Nationwide expansion, faster speeds
Be.EV, which is majority-owned by Octopus Energy Generation’s Sky Fund, said the deal strengthens its ability to offer a reliable, accessible network for EV drivers, with greater availability of high-powered chargers and simplified pricing.
“We’re delighted to bring Mer’s network into Be.EV and even more excited about what it means for drivers,” said Asif Ghafoor, CEO of Be.EV.
“People don’t want to think about charging, they just want it to work, whenever and wherever they are. This acquisition brings the reliable Be.EV experience to more places, and the scale we gain helps us keep public charging affordable – including our market-leading off-peak and subscription pricing from 39p/kWh. It’s a natural fit with our existing network and will sit alongside our continued investment in new sites and service improvements.”
The majority of the combined network will eventually be powered by Octopus Energy, and Be.EV customers will benefit from nationwide access to subscription rates starting at 39p/kWh, as well as discounted 7pm–7am off-peak pricing.
Mer’s existing UK customers will be able to continue using their preferred charge points as they transition into the Be.EV ecosystem, the company confirmed.
Kristoffer Thoner, CEO at Mer, added, “We are pleased to see Mer’s UK public charging network join Be.EV, a company with a strong customer-centric approach and clear ambitions in public charging. This transaction supports Be.EV’s growth while allowing Mer to sharpen our strategic focus on our core European markets. Ultimately, both companies share the same goal – making EV charging simple and accessible for everyone.”
Mer shifts focus, Be.EV looks to scale
Mer will continue to operate its UK fleet and workplace charging network, which includes approximately 500 chargers available to employees and visitors. However, the company’s public charging operations will now be folded into Be.EV’s network, with the transition supported by a streamlined team following completion.
Be.EV said it plans to build on the existing Mer infrastructure by applying its own operational and marketing approach across the expanded estate, including better charger discoverability and customer support. Over time, the firm will selectively replace and upgrade equipment to maintain performance and reliability.
The company expects to realise efficiency gains across procurement, network operations, and overheads – supporting its stated goal of accelerating towards profitability while continuing to grow organically through new site development.
A changing EV charging landscape
The transaction is the latest in a series of moves reshaping the UK’s EV charging market, where the economics of public infrastructure remain tightly linked to utilisation, uptime, and scale.
We’ve covered similar activity in recent days, with Connected Kerb’s purchase of Trojan Energy’s ‘Flat & Flush’ charging technology and public network, further consolidating the market around larger players with access to capital, streamlined operations, and clear national ambitions.
