char.gy’s journey with WMG
Thursday 30th April 2026
Building Britain’s on-street EV charging network: char.gy’s journey with WMG
How Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) supported char.gy during its early development and subsequent growth, as the business evolved into a nationwide manufacturer and operator of public on-street EV charging.
Charging the future
Manufactured in Coventry, char.gy is one of the UK’s leading providers and operators of EV charge points, managing a growing network of more than 5,000 public charging points nationwide.
Founded in 2016 by entrepreneur Richard Stobart, char.gy specialises in reliable and affordable on-street charging, focusing on the 40% of UK households without a private driveway. By using existing street furniture such as lamp posts, char.gy enables local authorities to deliver accessible EV charging without costly street works.
Across the 10-year partnership, WMG supported a number of projects spanning applied research, product development, and the creation of new intellectual property, supporting char.gy to grow sustainably and achieve its long-term ambitions.
Challenge: From concept to kerbside
Richard Stobart founded char.gy with the goal of making EV ownership accessible for drivers without access to off-street parking, with the idea of turning existing lamp posts into reliable public EV charging points.
To bring this idea safely and reliably to market, char.gy required specialist engineering expertise to design, test and certify its early hardware. WMG’s SME Group supported the development and validation of the first electronic components, enabling char.gy to progress through early certification and prepare its first units for deployment.
"WMG understood what we needed and turned around a turnkey solution very quickly that cut our manufacturing costs and allowed us to get into the certification schedule early."
– Richard Stobart, Founder, char.gy.
char.gy’s first product was designed to be installed directly onto existing lamp posts, avoiding the need for new power supplies or disruptive roadworks.
Solution: From prototype to nationwide rollout
Supporting char.gy’s scale-up journey, WMG worked closely on collaborative R&D projects, co-funded by Innovate UK, on areas that included developing interoperable wireless EV charging.
This initial phase of collaboration later expanded into structural testing, electronics development and support across multiple product generations. WMG also facilitated regional connections, helping char.gy install some of its earliest charge points and build operational confidence.
"Before we did the initial project, I thought universities were inaccessible to SMEs like us, but after the initial engagement with WMG’s SME Group, it has led to more exciting projects, relationships and opportunities."
– Richard Stobart, Founder, char.gy.
Impact: A decade of growth
Since first partnering with WMG, char.gy has gone from strength to strength:
- £100m private equity investment
- Development of the world’s first commercially used wireless on-street EV charging in partnership with Innovate UK and Hiya Car Club
- Major local authority contracts including Transport for London and a £130m Brighton and Hove City Council contract
char.gy contributes to the UK’s modern industrial strategy by accelerating the roll-out of clean transport infrastructure nationwide. It has helped strengthen the West Midlands manufacturing ecosystem from building its UK factory in Coventry to deliver its charging network.
char.gy is now well positioned to achieve its future ambition of making EV charging easy and convenient for more than one million drivers by 2030, as it scales towards deploying thousands of charge points nationwide.
“Projects like this are about finding giants and identifying ambitious businesses with the potential to lead new sectors. Our tailored support and being able to take a long-term view, enables start-ups to access support and funding to achieve their scale-up ambitions, guiding them to become industry leaders.”
- Dr Mark Swift, Director of SME Engagement, WMG.
WMG’s SME Group continues its relationship with char.gy, including planned engagement with the Coventry-based manufacturing facility in 2026, to explore how WMG can further support the company in their next phase of growth.
Are you looking for support to scale-up your SME? Get in touch today to learn how we can supercharge the future of your manufacturing business.