Alan joined Moto in October 2024. Previously he was the COO and a main board director for over four years at GRIDSERVE Sustainable Energy Limited. Alan has worked at board level across the infrastructure, technology and energy sectors for the last 20 years.
Alan’s role at Moto is to lead its energy transition strategy, building on the brand’s already sector-leading position decarbonising the transportation sector across the strategic road network in the UK. Continuing its journey to reduce its impact on the planet by transitioning to clean energies at pace. To underpin the adoption and transition to zero tail-pipe emission vehicles across commuter, business and HGV user groups. Along with integrating its EV charging portfolio into the broader energy ecosystem materially ‘moving the dial’ on its energy generation capability, making it more convenient, sustainable and integrated with renewable energy sources.
What inspired you to continue Moto’s work as a key player in the EV revolution on the UK motorway network?
Moto is a fantastic business, with an amazing customer and colleague focused culture.
The decarbonisation of the UK’s Strategic Road Network and the transition to clean fuels is nationally significant and critical to the reduction in emissions across the UK.
Moto is committed to playing a leading role in delivering the clean energy transition across the UK motorway network whilst reducing its own impact on the planet.
We are collaborating with our partners, service providers, stakeholders and government to accelerate the EV transition on the UK motorway network as well as taking meaningful steps to generate renewable energy at our sites.
Which represents a real step change in its ambitions and expectations to satisfy its energy needs over the coming years as passenger, light goods and heavy goods vehicles progressively transition to zero tail pipe emission.
Moto is committed to encouraging sustainable driving. How do you ensure that the company’s operations align with environmental goals, and what initiatives have you implemented to reduce Moto’s carbon footprint?
Our aim is to build value among our company’s stakeholders by embedding responsible business practices sustainably within our operations and across every stage of our supply chain. The long-term success of the business depends on it.
Addressing the biggest sustainability challenges that face the business, as well as society and the planet to meet our colleagues, customers and wider stakeholder needs is central to how the business operates. As well as with building more resilient supply chains by collaborating closely with our suppliers and brand partners to ensure our products are ethically sourced and sourced sustainably with integrity.
To address these challenges and deliver sustainable growth over the coming years we will aggressively reduce our cardon footprint, maximise energy and water efficiency and continually strive to keep waste to a minimum within our own operations and supply chains.
We will lead the transition to EV on the motorway network, improve our use of natural resources and reduce the environmental impact of the business, future proof our sites through innovation and design, providing safe environments for our colleagues and customers as well as help our customers be more sustainable through our services and facilities.
EV charging facilities at our sites use net zero carbon energy through our existing partnerships with GRIDSERVE and Tesla so EV customers can rest assured they are driving sustainably when they visit and charge at our sites today.
We are working to bring online clean energy assets for our site and EV charging needs including rolling out ground mounted solar farms, integrated energy storage as well as roof mounted solar and several other energy efficiency initiatives. This will not only reduce our carbon footprint but also build resilience in our energy network for many years to come.
How does Moto plan to attract and retain a growing customer base as the demand for EV charging services increases?
Moto’s purpose ‘is to brighten people’s journeys through life’ and to do this Moto has set an ambitious growth and development plan with significant investment to achieve the strategic priorities of the business. Continually striving to deliver its vision of ‘brightening people’s journey through life’.
Moto’s strategic pillars focus on people, product and planet. Its strategic priorities of leading the transition to clean energies, increasing visitor numbers by enhancing our brands, services and facilities, increasing our presence through new locations, building a sustainable future and continuing to win the loyalty of commuters, families and HGV drivers. Are at the heart of our plan to attract and retain our growing customer base as the demands of EV charging facilities increase.
We are laser focused to continually evolve and enhance our customer EV proposition to support the ever-changing needs of all our customers. To give them confidence to transition to EV’s, to turn-in as EV drivers to charge and use our award-winning facilities across the UK.
We have more ‘Ultra Rapid’ High Power Charging hubs on more sites than any other individual MSA will be able to deliver in the UK and have more 350kW High-Power Chargers operational today than our next three biggest competitors combined.
We have an ambitious plan to continue to roll out industry leading high power charging infrastructure with our partners to support the growing needs of all EV drivers across the UK.
What are the primary challenges facing Moto in the Electric Vehicle sector, and how do you plan to address them?
The primary challenge we face now is a lack of sufficient power across a number of our sites to scale our EV charging at the pace we plan to over the coming years. Moto launched it’s ‘Motofesto’, campaigning platform in 2023 to highlight this as a national issue and, while it has led to encouraging announcements from the UK Government with regards EV related policies, there’s still much more work to be done.
We are making meaningful progress working with the electricity companies to progressively secure the power needed to support the transition to clean fuels over the coming years. It is complicated and will fundamentally need close collaboration across all stakeholders and industry players.
We are and have been calling on the Government to declare all 2,300 miles of the UK’s motorway network as a ‘national priority’ for power and to set targets for power by year for the power companies. To provide the framework so we can deliver the infrastructure we need to support the EV growth in commuter, business and heavy goods vehicles as quickly and efficiently at our sites as humanly possible.
I have been encouraged by the level of engagement and focus being given to this critical industry issue. We are at the foothills of the journey. We will need to work and collaborate with, and influence a broad church of partners, policy makers, competitors and stakeholder to help all of us get to the summit to deliver on the nations commitment to net zero. This is a solve and do together problem. Not a to be done despite of approach…
Current planning policies and frameworks have also not kept pace with the needs of EV charging in recent years, which has led to significant delays in receiving planning permissions that also needs to be addressed.
We continue to actively engage with ministers, government departments, industry associations, trade bodies and other key stakeholders to make sure these issues continue to be prioritised.
What innovations has Moto introduced, or plans to introduce, to improve EV charging infrastructure on the UK motorway network?
Our real innovation is from a customer experience perspective as we look to provide a truly frictionless experience for all customers using our EV charging and customer amenity facilities.
Working with our charge point operator partners Tesla and GRIDSERVE we have and will continue to accelerate the introduction of modular construction to reduce time to market, carbon emissions, disruption on already very busy operational sites whilst improving availability, reliability and cost effectiveness.
We will continue to deploy industry leading charging infrastructure, as well as industry leading ‘front of house’ and ‘back of house’ technologies that will enhance and support the delivery of a frictionless customer experience and journey.
We are and will continue to deploy a full suite of smart, digitally connected services designed to better inform and enhance our customers EV experience from journey planning, through on-route charging/ charger status, customer on-site information systems and connected services to provide the range of services our customers need today and well into the future.
Our award-winning amenity buildings offer a relaxing experience when customers are waiting for their vehicle to recharge as well. So that when they leave to continue their journey, they feel well rested and confident in their ability to charge again at another location on the motorway network should they need to do so, where and when they want.
How do you envision the future of the EV industry, and what role does Moto play in shaping it?
The future of the still immature e-mobility sector is very exciting and challenging in equal measure. Like all other technological transformations over the last 30+ years or so, it will involve rapid market growth, huge technological advancements as well as intense competition across the whole value chain. As existing key players, new market entrants and disruptors in their respective market segments strive to stay relevant to provide services and products that their customers value and continue to need.
Consumers will become more discerning, knowledgeable and demanding. Technology will need to standardise, and interoperability will need to improve and the market will consolidate as the sector matures over the coming years. The companies who continue to be relevant, who continue to provide a first- class suite of products and services to its customers, who continue to innovate and evolve at pace to continually delight their customers will have the best chance of make a difference to the future of the EV industry.
We are already seeing a significant increase in the varieties of EV’s that are available, and are planning to be launched, for all drivers as well as the introduction of vans, coaches, trucks and heavy goods vehicles over the coming years that will materially change how we provide charging to each EV user.
Vehicle technology will rapidly evolve to enhance performance and reduce costs. Charging technology will evolve to satisfy improvements in vehicle drivetrain and battery technology and improve utilisation across all vehicle types and vehicle use cases.
From an infrastructure perspective the focus will be on building high quality, future proofed charging infrastructure at pace. That is designed to satisfy the needs of the location and customers use case and provide value added services to customers to enhance their experience whilst charging and improve their journeys.
Moto will play a leading role in decarbonising and transitioning to clean fuels across the strategic road network in the UK whilst continually striving to deliver its vision of ‘brightening people’s journey through life’.
