Evaluating only Charge’s profile at its peak — without knowing the outcome — the model ranked Unit economics as the #1 likely cause. Documented cause: Distribution.
Key Events Timeline
FOUNDING
Anthony Dunnigan founded Charge in London to embed EV charging points into existing street lampposts.
FUNDING
Charge raised £7.5M and signed pilot partnerships with multiple London boroughs to deploy lamppost chargers.
PIVOT
Charge deployed 1,500 lamppost chargers across London but utilization rates remained far below commercial viability thresholds.
SHUTDOWN
Charge entered administration; assets and technology subsequently acquired by competitor Trojan Energy for undisclosed sum.
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Documented cause
Charge was a UK-based EV charging network that raised approximately £7.5M to deploy streetlight-integrated EV charging points across London. The startup pioneered embedding chargers into existing lampposts, partnering with local councils. However, slow council procurement cycles, underfunding, and inability to scale charger density fast enough to attract consistent EV driver usage resulted in revenue far below projections. The company entered administration in 2022, with assets later acquired by Trojan Energy.
Lesson
“B2G sales cycles in infrastructure will always outpace a startup's runway; model for 3x longer timelines.”