Zap-Map co-founders Melanie Shufflebotham and Dr Ben Lane have made number 15 in GreenFleet’s ‘100 Most Influential’ list for 2022.
The list itself is Greenfleet’s pick of the most influential people to have shaped the zero and low-carbon fleet industry over the course of the year. It is a mix of fleet managers, vehicle manufacturers, government figures, campaigners and company bosses – all of whom have done something to make an impact on the industry.
Co-founders Melanie Shufflebotham and Dr Ben Lane, who are also COO and CTO respectively, launched Zap-Map in June 2014, with the aim of accelerating the shift to electric vehicles (EV) and helping the drive towards zero carbon mobility. 2022 is not the first time that Zap-Map’s co-founders have made GreenFleet’s 100 Most Influential, having also made the list last year.
Zap-Map’s charging point map is available on iOS/Android apps as well as the live desktop map. Zap-Map currently has more than 340,000 registered users, and over 95% of the UK’s public points on its network.
“Our mission at Zap-Map has always been to make charging simple – by enabling EV drivers to search for charge points, plan longer electric journeys, pay on multiple networks, and share updates with other EV drivers – all in one app,” said Ben Lane, Co-founder & CTO at Zap-Map.
“This year’s Greenfleet GF100 list shows just how many industry and government leaders there now are supporting the transition to a fully electric future, so we are delighted to receive recognition from GreenFleet for all the work the Zap-Map team has achieved. We look forward to achieving even more in 2022!”
Watch this space for GreenFleet’s video interview with Zap-Map CTO Ben Lane, expected to air early this week.
Giving more details on the co-founders’ position at 15 this year, GreenFleet described Zap-Map as an “award-winning website and app, which is seen as the authority on the UK’s public charging network.”
The entry continued: “Registered users enjoy accurate route planning and EV charge point features. 2021 innovations included the addition of more charging providers to the Zap-Pay app, and the introduction of a new electricity tariff especially for EV drivers, in conjunction with Good Energy.
“In 2022, a seamless payment solution for fleets with EVs will appear, offered in partnership with Allstar Business Solutions Limited.”
Zap-Map also named winner of the ‘Best Electric-Car App’ at the 2022 DrivingElectric Awards.
“I’m really pleased to be featured in GreenFleet’s 100 Most Influential list for the second year running. With drivers increasingly making the switch to electric vehicles, they are also turning to Zap-Map to help them out,” said Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zap-Map.
“The Zap-Map team’s response to this rapid growth has been fantastic, ensuring we are able not only to deliver a really useful service, but listen to our users and incorporate feedback into our plans for the future!”
Last year was certainly a busy year for Zap-Map, and 2022 is looking similarly action-packed. Over the course of 2021 – based on user feedback – Zap-Map upgraded the app to include additional features: an improved EV model selection, updated connector filters, and an all-new route planner mode, called ‘Autoroute’.
Nine charging networks also signed up to the Zap-Pay partner network, with GeniePoint scheduled to go live on the cross-network payment service imminently and the MFG EV Power network following hot on its heels.
In June last year, Zap-Map also launched Zap-Map Plus and Zap-Map Premium on top of the app’s core search, plan and pay services, which remain free. The two advanced options are aimed at drivers who regularly use the public charging network.
In December, Zap-Map was not only named winner of the “Best Electric-Car App” at the 2022 DrivingElectric Awards, but also made BusinessCloud’s TransportTech 50 ranking, which showcases the UK’s most innovative transport technology creators for 2021.
