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#66: Be.EV acquires Mer’s UK charging network

Be.EV triples footprint in UK, New FHWA “Buy America” Roadblock, it’s electric launches Curbside Charging Pilot

Author

Steve Taylor
February 14, 2026

The Business and Policy of Charging Infrastructure

The 3 big stories

  • Be.EV acquires Mer’s UK public charging network

  • Trump admin moves to require 100% domestic materials in EV chargers

  • it’s electric and DDOT launch curbside pilot in DC

Plus, featured jobs and news.
Steve

Industry News

Be.EV has acquired Mer's UK public charging business, significantly expanding its footprint across the UK.

The deal brings Mer's public chargers into Be.EV's network. Existing Mer customers will retain access while gradually transitioning to Be.EV's pricing and service offerings.

The acquisition strengthens Be.EV's presence in Southern England and elevates the combined entity into the UK's top 10 rapid and ultra-rapid networks by capacity.

Mer will refocus on its core European public markets and maintain operations for approximately 500 workplace chargers in the UK.

Steve's take

This acquisition is a sign of maturity in Europe's charging infrastructure landscape.

The UK charging market has been highly fragmented, with regional operators competing for capital, grid connections, and customer visibility. By absorbing Mer's UK public charging assets, Be.EV positions itself among the country's leading rapid and ultra-rapid providers, which is a critical move given that high-powered DC infrastructure is where both utilization rates and long-term asset value are concentrated.

The deal also makes nationwide subscription pricing credible. Drivers want simplicity and predictability, but that only works with consistent geographic coverage.

Power and Policy

This week, the Federal Highway Administration (“FHWA”) unveiled its latest controversial shift in U.S. policy on electric-vehicle charging infrastructure funded with federal dollars. In an announcement from Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FHWA leadership, the administration proposed raising the domestic content requirement for federally funded EV chargers from the current 55 percent to as high as 100 percent. Under the proposal, all components of EV chargers purchased or installed with FHWA-administered funds would need to be manufactured and assembled in the United States to meet the new Buy America standards. 

The proposal would modify long-standing Buy America waivers for EV chargers — waivers originally designed to accelerate deployment by allowing foreign-made materials in key components — and make full domestic sourcing a prerequisite for eligibility for federal funding under programs such as the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program. Officials said the goal is to strengthen U.S. manufacturing, create American jobs, level the playing field for domestic producers, and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and perceived cybersecurity vulnerabilities tied to imported components.

Secretary Duffy stated he believed that the industry has had sufficient time to build capacity and that tightening these requirements reflects a commitment to “America First” industrial policy. FHWA Administrator Sean McMaster similarly framed the change as a boost for U.S. competitiveness and national economic security. 

But the announcement drew immediate reaction from industry groups and clean-energy advocates. Critics argue that no current EV charger manufacturers can meet a 100 percent domestic content threshold today, given the global nature of electronics and specialized components, warning that an overly strict requirement could stall or even derail the expansion of EV charging infrastructure nationwide. They contend that while boosting domestic production is valuable, setting the bar at full U.S. origin without realistic phase-in risks undermining the very build-out the federal program is meant to support.

The FHWA has opened a public comment period on the proposed modification, allowing stakeholders to weigh in on how the new Buy America requirements should be structured. Whether the 100 percent threshold remains intact through the rule-making process — and how it will impact deployment timelines, state transportation agencies, and manufacturers — remains a key question as implementation unfolds.

Rob’s take

The Trump administration’s initiative to require fully American-made EV charging infrastructure is clearly the latest move in their broad, and not-so-subtle effort to impede federal support for EV-charging infrastructure. Rather than a single direct policy to eliminate all federal support for EV charging, the administration’s broader pattern has included:

 • Attempted funding freezes or work stoppages that courts have struck down.  

 • Regulatory shifts that could have unintended consequences on the industry by narrowing eligible technologies and suppliers.  

 • Selective withholding or delay of fund obligations to slow deployment timelines.  

 • Legal and procedural tactics that shift responsibility to states and developers, potentially frustrating progress even when money is available.  

Together, these actions reflect a multi-pronged approach: even if the administration cannot legally end federal EV funding outright, it is using policy design, administrative requirements, and regulatory changes as tools to inhibit the pace and scale of EV infrastructure growth.  Whether these measures will ultimately hinder infrastructure deployment or be modified through rulemaking, litigation, or legislative action remains a central question as EV adoption and grid needs evolve.

Emerging Tech

In partnership with it’s electric, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has launched a Neighborhood Curbside EV Charging Pilot to test how private vendors can install, operate, and maintain chargers in the public right-of-way.

The pilot will deploy 16 curbside chargers across 8 locations in DC. Each site serves two adjacent parking spaces. The first location is now live in Ward 1 near The Festival Center on Columbia Road NW.

DDOT says the goal is to inform future rulemaking and establish a scalable permitting framework for private operators in city streets.

it’s electric allows adjacent property owners to share in charging revenue, creating a localized incentive to host and support installations.

Steve’s take

Curbside charging is the structural gap in urban EV infrastructure.

Fast-charging hubs allow for long-distance travel. Home charging enables suburban adoption. But a large share of urban drivers rely on street parking, and without reliable curbside access, EV adoption in dense cities will remain constrained.

The importance of this pilot is not the initial number of chargers deployed. It’s the regulatory architecture being tested. DDOT is moving from on-off approvals to a standardized, scalable permitting framework that allows private operators to deploy and manage charging infrastructure in the public right-of-way. The shift is necessary to unlock private capital and accelerate rollout of charging infrastructure in urban areas.

Equally important is the economic model. By allowing adjacent property owners to participate in charging revenue, the program aligns incentives at the block level. This could help reduce local resistance, simplify site acquisition, and create a distributed network of stakeholders who benefit from electrification.

If the pilot proves operationally and politically viable, it could become a template for other cities facing the same curbside challenge. Urban electrification will not scale through fast-charging hubs alone. It will scale through systematic, street-level deployment.

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⚡️Steve and Rob

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