McGill’s Group has announced it has acquired the coach operator Prentice Westwood in a seven-figure deal, marking another step in its strategic expansion across Scotland. All Prentice Westwood employees will join McGill’s, and the brand is expected to be retained. The acquisition strengthens McGill’s presence in central Scotland, complementing its existing coach services, including scheduled routes, private hire, and the rapidly growing Loch Lomond Travel holiday division. Prentice Westwood, a family-run business for over 70 years, was praised by McGill’s for its strong reputation, operational standards, and team ethos. Prentice Westwood expressed confidence in the deal, citing shared principles and a promising future under McGill’s leadership. The acquisition follows McGill’s 2022 purchase of First Scotland East and aligns with the group’s broader ambitions to expand both within the UK and internationally. Interestingly, this move also reflects a wider trend of consolidation in the coach industry, with McGill’s emerging as a key player among other major groups like The Coach Travel Group and Go-Ahead. The deal underscores McGill’s commitment to growth and its position as the UK’s largest independent bus operator.
The UK government has announced a progressive £63m investment to help boost the country’s EV sector, aiming to make EV ownership more accessible and affordable for all. A key component is a £25m scheme to help households without driveways access cheaper at-home charging. This includes cross-pavement technology that allows charging cables to run safely beneath pavements, enabling more families to benefit from low domestic electricity rates, potentially reducing running costs to just 2p per mile and saving up to £1,500 annually compared to an ICE vehicle. An additional £8m will support the electrification of NHS fleets across over 200 sites in England, helping the health service cut costs and reinvest savings into patient care. The funding also supports the installation of thousands of charge points at business depots nationwide. This initiative builds on the UK’s existing £400 million investment in EV infrastructure. It complements the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, which aims to stimulate economic growth, create (green) jobs, and reduce emissions. With over 82,000 public charge points already in place and 100,000 more expected through public and private investment, the government’s Plan for Change is designed to ensure a fair, clean, and cost-effective transition to electric mobility.
EVerged has announced it is partnering with AMPECO, an EV charging management platform provider, to significantly expand its EV charging infrastructure across the USA. The collaboration aims to deploy over 5,000 EV charging points within 2 years, enhancing both public and private networks. This initiative builds on a successful pilot in San Diego, where AMPECO’s platform now manages the city’s public charging network and supports a plan to install 4,000 new charge points over 5 years. AMPECO’s hardware-agnostic platform offers real-time monitoring, remote diagnostics, and instant alerts, resolving 70–80% of issues remotely. Thus, dramatically improving charger uptime and reliability, which are key concerns in the EV industry. EVerged highlighted the platform’s role in enabling rapid deployment and operational efficiency for both AC and DC charging solutions. The partnership also focuses on driver engagement, offering promotions like free charging to boost usage. AMPECO’s tools transform charging stations into customer engagement hubs, supported by analytics and customisable dashboards. This collaboration positions EVerged to scale nationally, supporting North America’s broader transition to clean transportation by addressing infrastructure gaps and enhancing service quality.
BP has announced it has agreed to sell its Dutch fuel retail and EV charging operations to Catom BV, a Netherlands-based energy company, as part of its broader strategy to streamline its global portfolio. The deal includes c.300 fuel stations, BP’s Dutch fleet services, and its EV charging infrastructure, notably 15 operational BP Pulse EV hubs and a further 8 under development. These assets will be integrated into Catom’s expanding OK-branded network, boosting its presence across the Netherlands. This divestment aligns with BP’s plan to offload up to $20bn in assets by 2027, with a target of $3 to 4bn in divestments for 2025 alone, of which $1.5bn has already been achieved. The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed; however, the deal is expected to close by the end of 2025, pending regulatory approval. The move reflects BP’s shift toward focusing on higher-growth, lower-carbon opportunities, while Catom strengthens its position in both traditional and electric mobility markets. The acquisition significantly enhances Catom’s infrastructure footprint and supports its ambition to become a significant player in the Dutch energy and mobility sector.
A fascinating piece by Yahoo Finance highlights that BYD are rapidly gaining ground in the UK and Europe, challenging even Tesla’s dominance in the EV market. BYD now accounts for 30% of all Chinese EVs sold across Europe, with sales nearly matching Tesla’s, just 40 units behind in May 2025, after surpassing Tesla in April 2025. The company’s success is driven by affordable models such as the Dolphin Surf, priced at £18,650, which offers premium features such as a rotating touchscreen and intelligent cruise control. This model competes with budget EVs like the Dacia Spring and Citroen e-C3. BYD’s UK sales hit 9,271 units in Q1 24, reflecting a broader surge in Chinese EV demand across Europe. Other Chinese brands like Xpeng, Leapmotor, and Chery’s Jaecoo are also entering the market. Meanwhile, Tesla’s European sales dropped 28% YoY in May, signalling a potential slowdown. Globally, BYD’s expansion is dramatic; it grew from 400,000 vehicles sold in 2020 to 3.7m in 2023 and added 200,000 employees in 2024. With a market cap of c.$141 billion, BYD is now valued at nearly 3x Volkswagen, though still far behind Tesla’s near $1tn valuation.
Deals
Filics, a Munich-based robotics startup, has raised c.$16 million to advance its autonomous pallet-moving robots. The funding round included investments from the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, Sandwater and Alven, amongst others. The startup’s first product, the Filics Unit, consists of 2 omnidirectional robots capable of autonomously transporting European wooden pallets weighing up to 2,000 pounds. These robots navigate under pallets and manoeuvre through tight warehouse spaces, offering up to 30% space savings. The company aims to disrupt warehouse logistics by enabling more flexible and scalable automation. Filics plans to use the funding to optimise its technology, expand into Europe by 2026, and develop capabilities for fully autonomous truck loading. The startup is looking to improve warehouse efficiency and space utilisation.
Tulum Energy, a Milan-based clean hydrogen startup, has raised €22.9m in a Seed funding round to accelerate its scalable, low-carbon hydrogen production technology. The round was co-led by TDK Ventures and CDP Venture Capital, with investors such as Doral Energy-Tech Ventures, MITO Tech Ventures, and TechEnergy Ventures also participating. Tulum, spun out of the Techint Group in 2024, focuses on hydrogen production using electric arc furnace technology, reconfigured for hydrogen generation. Tulum’s approach promises up to 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and cost parity with conventional grey hydrogen, without relying on subsidies or carbon co-product sales. Tulum’s system offers high energy efficiency and a smaller land footprint, making it ideal for heavy industry and regions where green hydrogen is currently not practical. The startup plans to move swiftly from pilot to commercial scale, aiming to deliver a cost-effective, scalable alternative to traditional hydrogen solutions.
Ionic Mineral Technologies, a US-based producer of advanced materials, has closed an oversubscribed $29m Series B funding round, exceeding its initial target of $25m. This capital will be used to scale up production at its 74,000-square-foot facility in Utah, focusing on 2 key products: Ionisil (a nano-silicon anode material for EV and defence batteries) and IonAl (a high-purity boehmite alumina for battery separators and ceramics). Ionisil offers energy capacities over 2,500 mAh/g and is produced using a patented silane-free magnesiothermic reduction process. The startup’s vertically integrated model, from sourcing Utah’s halloysite clay to final product, supports the American energy independence and clean manufacturing goals, while enhancing supply chain security.
ServiceUp, a California-based AutoTech startup, has raised $55n in a Series B funding round, led by PeakSpan Capital. ServiceUp offers a platform that automates and manages the vehicle repair process for fleets and insurance companies. The platform streamlines repair approvals, vendor coordination, live tracking, billing, and data insights. For clients seeking a hands-off approach, ServiceUp 360 provides a fully managed service, including vehicle pickup and delivery. In 2024, the startup achieved 180% YoY revenue growth, and while not yet profitable, it aims to reach profitability by 2026. Its client base includes Zipcar, Clearcover, and Kyte. ServiceUp claims to reduce repair cycle times by over 30%, positioning itself as a key player in the growing fleet and insurance repair tech space.
Ekho, a US-based end-to-end vehicle commerce platform, has raised $17.3m in total funding, including a $15m Series A funding round led by Activant Capital. Investors such as JPMorgan Payments, Winnebago Industries, and Y Combinator also participated. Ekho’s platform enables OEMs and dealers to sell vehicles entirely online, handling everything from financing and fraud checks to DMV registration(s) and insurance verification. The funding will support Ekho’s mission to shake up and modernise vehicle retail by offering a digital-first experience for both buyers and sellers. Its modular platform allows for flexible integration across various sales models. Ekho’s tools automate complex processes such as title registration, e-signatures, and compliance across all 50 US states, significantly reducing time-to-market for OEMs. With this investment, Ekho plans to scale its operations, expand its partner network, and enhance its platform capabilities.