Free to all industry professionals, pre-registration required to attend. The sponsored education session will be hosted on IPMI’s platform, with content provided by Blink.
Free to all industry professionals, pre-registration required to attend. The sponsored education session will be hosted on IPMI’s platform, with content provided by Blink.
– Acquisition adds 7,071 charging ports to Blink’s portfolio across four countries in Western Europe
Miami Beach, FL – May 11, 2021 – Blink Charging Co. (Nasdaq: BLNK, BLNKW) (“Blink” or the “Company”), a leading owner, operator, and provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment and services, today announced that it acquired the European EV charging operator Blue Corner N.V., based in Antwerp, Belgium, and its portfolio of 7,071 charging ports and a robust European charging network. The acquisition was made with a combination of cash and stock for €20 million (or approximately $24 million) and gives Blink complete operational control of Blue Corner and its EV charging assets. The acquisition is part of Blink’s broader strategic international expansion plans and provides the Company a significant infrastructure footprint in the region. Blue Corner chargers are located across Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and France.
Blink’s European expansion allows the Company to capitalize on the robust European EV industry immediately. “EVs enjoy a much higher market share in Europe. This brings increased utilization for EV charging stations. In addition, the historically higher price of fuel makes driving an EV a stronger value proposition for drivers,” stated Blink Founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael D. Farkas.
The European EV market is growing faster than the United States. Sales of plug-in electric vehicles in Europe rose 137% to 1.4 million vehicles last year, whereas U.S. sales rose 4% to 328,000, according to ev-volumes.com. The surge in EV adoption will increase demand for EV charging infrastructure. In addition, European regulations are further accelerating widespread EV adoption regulatory support for zero-emission vehicles.
“We are very excited about this acquisition and the opportunity it provides Blink to have a significant presence in Europe quickly. As a key contributor to the expanding EV landscape, we are continuously looking for opportunities to strategically increase our global assets while also making EV charging more accessible. International expansion is fundamental to our rapid growth and will accelerate the success we are already achieving in the region,” stated Farkas. “Our aggressive international strategy complements a series of significant domestic wins and new contracts that have exponentially expanded our network in the US.”
“Blue Corner’s mission is to build a sustainable society and be ready for tomorrow’s driver. Since Blink shares this philosophy, it was a logical step to join forces. I am convinced that Blue Corner, as part of Blink Charging, can acquire a strong market presence throughout Europe. This acquisition allows us to significantly strengthen both our financial and organizational structure,” shared Peter Buyckx, Managing Director of Blue Corner.
To facilitate Blink’s European expansion, the Company also announced the formation of Blink Holdings B.V., a new Dutch company in Amsterdam, which will drive the growth of Blink’s European presence. The existing Blue Corner operations, management team, and personnel will remain unchanged following the acquisition.
Blink formally entered the European market in September 2019 with Blink Charging Hellas, a joint venture between Blink Charging Co. and Eunice Energy Group. The partnership began with the first deployment of Blink electric vehicle charging stations in Greece as part of the green energy electrification of the Rio-Antirrio “Charilaos Trikoupis” Bridge. Significant subsequent announcements have been made, including a partnership of Blink Charging Hellas and Nissan Nik. I. Theocharakis S.A and the purchase of 45 dual-port Blink charging stations by Public Power Company (PPC S.A.) for deployment across Greece. This tender by PPC S.A. was the first following the utility’s public announcement to enter into the Greek EV charging market with 10,000 charging stations. Also, in September 2019, Blink announced its first deployments of EV charging stations in Israel through its wholly-owned subsidiary Blink Charging Ltd.
Blink Charging Co. (Nasdaq: BLNK, BLNKW) is a leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment and has deployed over 23,000 charging stations, many of which are networked EV charging stations, enabling EV drivers to easily charge at any of the Company’s charging locations worldwide. Blink Charging’s principal line of products and services include its Blink EV charging network (“Blink Network”), EV charging equipment, and EV charging services. The Blink Network uses proprietary, cloud-based software that operates, maintains, and tracks the EV charging stations connected to the network and the associated charging data. With global EV purchases forecasted to rise to 10 million by 2025 from approximately 2 million in 2019, the Company has established key strategic partnerships for rolling out adoption across numerous location types, including parking facilities, multifamily residences and condos, workplace locations, health care/medical facilities, schools and universities, airports, auto dealers, hotels, mixed-use municipal locations, parks and recreation areas, religious institutions, restaurants, retailers, stadiums, supermarkets, and transportation hubs. For more information, please visit https://www.blinkcharging.com/.
Blue Corner started in 2011 as one of the pioneers of charging points for electric vehicles. Based on its sustainable mission, the supplier and manager of EV charging facilities wants to make electric driving easy and accessible for everyone. Blue Corner focuses on smart and comprehensive 360° solutions with subscriptions for professionals, the general public and partners. Its rapidly growing network has over 7,000 charging points spread across Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France. Blue Corner’s public charging card makes a total of 250,000 charging points accessible in the rest of Europe. The company has 30 employees and is headquartered in Antwerp. www.bluecorner.be
Blink Media Contact: PR@BlinkCharging.com
Blink Investor Relations Contact: IR@BlinkCharging.com
Free to all industry professionals, pre-registration required to attend. The sponsored education session will be hosted on IPMI’s platform, with content provided by Blink.
You need to stay ahead of the game. It’s not a matter of IF are EVs coming, it’s a matter of WHEN. Learn if and how you may be able to take advantage of grants, rebates, or other incentive programs in your state to get EV charging stations at little to no cost to you. During this informative session Blink Charging will walk you through what EV charging is, and how to get it set up at your location.
We Make EV Charging Accessible: Blink was founded with the mission to do our part in slowing climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by transportation. Our company always has, and continues to be, a driving force in the EV industry. Paving the way for the growth and adaptation of electric vehicles, Blink continues to offer innovative EV products and business partnerships to drive the industry forward.
Mike Battaglia, Vice President of Sales, brings over 25 years of automotive, technology and sales experience to the Blink family. He holds deep connections throughout the automotive industry and is an expert in building high performing sales teams. Mike Battaglia comes to Blink Charging after a distinguished career at J.D. Power & Associates. During his 15-year career at the company he advanced quickly and held positions ranging from Director of Operational Research to Vice-President of Automotive Retail and Vice President of Sales, among other positions at Toyota and Penske.
Isaiah Mouw, CAPP, CNU-A, Executive Vice President, REEF Parking has worked in the parking industry for over 14 years and has managed nearly every facet of parking management in a municipal setting. In his role as Executive Vice President of Municipal Operations, Isaiah supports over 125 municipal accounts for REEF Parking. An industry ambassador and frequent public speaker and author, Isaiah serves on the International Parking and Mobility Institute’s (IPMI) Advisory Council as the Co-Chair of the Mobility Task-Force Committee, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the IPMI CAPP Board. In 2014, Isaiah was awarded the Chairman’s Award from IPMI, and in 2019, Isaiah was once again recognized by IPMI as the Parking Professional of the Year.
David Soens, Vice President, Grant Operations, comes to Blink with over a decade of experience in the electric vehicle infrastructure business. He co-founded Oak Energy Partners, an energy company that developed Level 2 charging stations, and U-Go Stations, Inc., where he was instrumental in developing and deploying charging stations in the United States as well as the Cayman Islands. While at U-Go Stations, Mr. Soens spearheaded the Nissan North America Infrastructure Investment Program “No Charge to Charge” and brought clean energy to new charging locations. After Blink acquired U-Go Stations, Mr. Soens brought his passion to our team. He shares Blink’s commitment to sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and clean energy.
First Phase of EV San Antonio program to include up to 140 Blink Owned Level 2 Charging Ports and 3 DC Fast Chargers
Miami Beach, FL – February 9, 2020 – Blink Charging Co. (Nasdaq: BLNK, BLNKW) (“Blink” or the “Company”), a leading owner, operator, and provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment and services, announced an agreement with the City of San Antonio, TX. The award makes Blink Charging the provider of EV charging equipment for the city’s EVSA program aimed at increasing access to public EV charging infrastructure. Initially, the award enlists the Company to deploy up to 140 Blink owned level 2 charging ports and 3 DC fast-charging stations throughout the city.
The Company won the bid after a competitive process. The award was approved by the San Antonio City Council on Thursday, February 4, after a thorough review of Blink, the Blink equipment, services, and team. Blink also was able to offer the city a cost neutral proposal for the EV charging program through the Company’s unique ownership model. Blink and the City of San Antonio will share the ongoing revenue from the charging stations.
“We’re excited to serve as an EV charging operator for the City of San Antonio. It is a testament that the quality of the Blink products and services and the differentiation of our business models which are our key competitive differences in the EV charging industry,” commented Michael D. Farkas, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blink.
“As a company, Blink is honored to help the city achieve its climate, sustainability, transportation, and air quality goals. Encouraging widespread adoption of EVs is core to Blink’s mission, and this includes minimizing the barriers to EV charging for all residents. Texas continues to be a growth market for us and for EVs, and this project will help to increase public awareness by increasing the number of charging options available in the state. We are committed to bringing affordable, convenient, and efficient charging stations to the growing number of EV drivers, and the addition of the stations in San Antonio further enhances our position as a leading provider in the ongoing development of EV infrastructure,” commented Mr. Farkas.
The first phase of this agreement will see 50 dual-port Blink owned chargers deployed in strategic locations around the city. Blink will analyze suggested publicly-accessible sites by conducting thorough assessments across San Antonio in order to identify ideal locations for its IQ 200 Level 2 EV charging stations. This project supports the City’s EV San Antonio program led by the Office of Sustainability. EVSA is a multi-faceted program designed to support electric transportation and EV drivers through education, encouragement, infrastructure, and policy with a focus on equity.
Emissions from the transportation sector are the second largest contributor to San Antonio’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to SA Climate Ready, Climate Action & Adaptation Plan. Electric vehicles produce zero emissions and will make San Antonio a cleaner and more livable city for all its residents.
To support its business model, Blink plans to apply for grant funds from the state-wide Texas Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Program (TxVEMP through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). This historic $10.4 million fund is specifically for establishing Level 2 charging across Texas in order to improve air quality.
“The City of San Antonio is looking forward to working with Blink on this project. Through our analyses, we know that large sections of our city are without EV charging infrastructure or have limited charging options. We hope that additional charging infrastructure that is publicly-accessible will relieve range anxiety and communicate that San Antonio is an EV-friendly city,” stated San Antonio Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer Julia Murphy.
ABOUT BLINK CHARGING
Blink Charging Co. (Nasdaq: BLNK, BLNKW) is a leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment and has deployed over 23,000 charging stations, many of which are networked EV charging stations, enabling EV drivers to easily charge at any of the Company’s charging locations worldwide. Blink Charging’s principal line of products and services include its Blink EV charging network (“Blink Network”), EV charging equipment, and EV charging services. The Blink Network uses proprietary, cloud-based software that operates, maintains, and tracks the EV charging stations connected to the network and the associated charging data. With global EV purchases forecasted to rise to 10 million by 2025 from approximately 2 million in 2019, the Company has established key strategic partnerships for rolling out adoption across numerous location types, including parking facilities, multifamily residences and condos, workplace locations, health care/medical facilities, schools and universities, airports, auto dealers, hotels, mixed-use municipal locations, parks and recreation areas, religious institutions, restaurants, retailers, stadiums, supermarkets, and transportation hubs. For more information, please visit https://www.blinkcharging.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined within Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements, along with terms such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “should,” and other comparable terms, involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief, or current expectations of Blink Charging and members of its management, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, including those described in Blink Charging’s periodic reports filed with the SEC, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Except as required by federal securities law, Blink Charging undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed conditions.
Blink Media Contact: PR@BlinkCharging.com
Blink Investor Relations Contact: IR@BlinkCharging.com
