EVs, Hydrogen and e-Mobility

EVs and e-Mobility

CMS has market-leading experience in relation to EVs and e-Mobility, advising OEMs, charging point providers, investors, landlords and other relevant stakeholders in relation to the full range of electric vehicle issues. We are ideally placed to support in relation to all legal aspects of the development of EVs, including: revenue streams (including vehicle to grid), regulatory issues, the full range equipment supply, installation and maintenance agreements, property rights, grid connection arrangements, consumer protection, intellectual property, product liability, financing, corporate and M&A, tax, consenting, and competition.

Our recent experience related to electric vehicles and e-Mobility includes advising:

• A global natural resources company on the procurement of a fleet of autonomous haulage trucks for one of its Australian mines. The deal represents one of the company’s largest autonomous technology procurements to date and is a key component of its ‘digital mines’ initiative to render its entire mining operations autonomous. 
• Ecotricity and GRIDSERVE on a major new collaboration to turbocharge development of the Electric Highway – Europe’s first nationwide charging network, which will transform electric vehicle charging facilities on Britain’s motorways and major roads.
• Bulb in relation to their EV tariff.
• The management team of Instavolt, the UK-based provider of pay-as-you-go rapid charging points, on the first investment by the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund.
• Tesla on a range of matters across a number of jurisdictions, including in relation to competition and charging infrastructure issues. 
• Pivot Power, the battery storage and EV charging infrastructure provider, on a rnage of matters, including its acquisition by EDF.
• Legal & General on its investment in PodPoint, one of the UK’s largest EV charging point providers, including in relation to due diligence and transaction matters. 
• Gridserve on the rollout of its ultra-fast EV charging concept, known as Electric Forecourts, powered by solar power and battery storage. 
• BP on its acquisition of Chargemaster, the UK’s biggest electric car charging network, which manufactures and maintains electrical charging units, as well as operating 6,500 charging points across the UK.
• A multinational telecommunications company on the rollout of charging points for EVs using its network infrastructure, including licence implications.
• PitPoint BV in relation to the award of the concession for the supply, installation and operation of EV charging infrastructure in the Brussels Region.
• BP on a collaboration agreement with a vehicle manufacturer to explore the integration of electric vehicle components with BP’s AI peer-to-peer trading platform. 
• New Motion, Allego and Alliander on the tender win for electric charging stations in Berlin who were awarded a contract by the Federal State of Berlin for the installation and operation of electric car charging stations.
• A German car manufacturer on the creation of a high-voltage fast charging point network in Poland, including regulatory, commercial and real estate advice. 
• Connected Kerb in respect of the supply, installation and operation of kerbside EV charging technology. 
• Ford in relation to various electric vehicle matters across Europe.

Hydrogen

CMS has been, and continues to be, deeply involved in the development of the energy transition technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCUS) which is essential in the development of ‘blue’ hydrogen production, where the hydrogen produced from natural gas uses CCUS to capture the CO2 produced. The CMS Energy and Climate Change practice is exceptionally well placed to advise our clients on the issues they face when considering, investing and developing hydrogen projects. Whatever your role is in this sector, the need to understand the latest risks and legal developments and to navigate the evolving schemes and incentives is key, influencing your ability to maximise your opportunities along the entire hydrogen value-chain.

Our recent experience related to hydrogen 

• John Laing Investments on partnering arrangements regarding the H2 Bus Europe project (EUR39.6m) to deploy 605 hydrogen fuel cell buses and supporting hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in Denmark, the UK, and Latvia.
• National Grid Ventures in collaboration with Cadent, SGN and Arup on Project Cavendish a hydrogen project to take hydrogen from the Isle of Grain to South London for use in London Underground and to power London’s hydrogen buses.
• Plastic Omnium on the establishment of a joint venture with ElringKlinger for the development and large scale production of fuel cell stacks for CO 2 neutral mobility in Austria and Germany.
• Pale Blue Dot as the consortium developing the Acorn Hydrogen project in Scotland to produce “blue” hydrogen using North Sea gas, with CO 2 emissions stored using existing and reported oil and gas infrastructure.
• Northern Ireland Water on the procurement and contracting of the up to £25m oxygen and green hydrogen project (starting with a 1MW electrolyser project).
• City of Frankfurt am Main on its project in cooperation with Mainova AG on the entire region's value chain for hydrogen projects which included consideration of production, storage transport and delivery consumption issues of hydrogen.
• A technical testing organisation on the establishment of a joint venture to provide consulting and project services related to hydrogen applications for third parties.
• Open Grid Europe GmbH on the European and German regulatory framework for hydrogen including conditions for a market ramp up of blue hydrogen as well as possible support systems. The study is based on the production of hydrogen from natural gas and the permanent offshore storage of the resulting CO2.
• A European transmission system operator on regulatory and legal implications for the gas network of hydrogen transmission and conveyance on the gas network.
• ERM on regulatory and consenting matters relating to its ‘Dolphyn’ (Deepwater Offshore Local Production of Hydrogen) project for the production of ‘green’ hydrogen at scale from seawater by using electrolysis powered by floating, offshore wind turbines.

To find out more about other related services you can visit the Energy & Climate Change expertise section.