Decarbonisation and the shift to electric vehicles are reshaping transport across road and rail, bringing both opportunity and complexity. Clients need to navigate evolving regulations, secure funding, and deliver projects that meet ambitious net zero targets—while managing commercial risk and operational demands.
Clients turn to us for practical support with every stage of their electric vehicle and charging infrastructure projects. We advise on procurement and financing of electric buses, trams, trains, and batteries; negotiate operating leases and hybrid finance agreements; and support the installation of charging points at depots, warehouses, and tenanted properties. Our team helps structure joint ventures, manage regulatory compliance, and resolve issues around asset management, risk allocation, procurement, and contract performance.
We work with charging hosts, fleet operators, manufacturers and maintainers, transport providers, procurers, funders (including public sector), investors, and landlords—delivering tailored, commercially focused advice, grounded in sector experience. Our cross-practice team brings together expertise in commercial, corporate, technology, real estate, energy, projects, finance, and data protection, ensuring clients benefit from end-to-end legal insight.
Clients value our ability to anticipate challenges, coordinate across jurisdictions, and deliver clear, actionable solutions. By working alongside you, we help you deliver successful electric vehicle and charging infrastructure projects across transport, particularly in road and rail.
Our Services
- Advised Chiltern Railways on its procurement of a new fleet of battery-electric multiple units. We assisted the Chiltern team with all aspects of the procurement.
- Acted for CAF on various matters, including:
- the Birmingham Tram project that involved installing and retrofitting batteries on trams to allow journeys to be made between areas where there could not be catenary.
- on a number of bi-mode and tri-mode trains where batteries are included along with standard electric and, occasionally, diesel power.
- in relation to its onboard energy/battery provision to the local authority, pursuant to a services arrangement, which included a consideration of warranties as well as future proofing the supply of energy/batteries.
- Advised Varamis Rail, a new entrant to the rail freight market, focused on using an electric fleet (which used to be passenger rolling stock) to move parcels around the United Kingdom. We have been advising on its proposed asset finance and leasing arrangements in connection with the refurbishment of an existing fleet, as well as all the regulatory arrangements required to set up a new business including access arrangements.
- Advised Schroders Capital on its £20 million partnership with Be.EV for the installation of 200 ultra-rapid EV charging bays across 22 major retail and leisure properties throughout the UK. The charging bays were secured under a 20-year lease agreement, guaranteeing future-proof infrastructure aligned with the UK's net zero goals.
- Acting for Zenobe Energy in connection with its contracts to bus operators, including the provision of charging infrastructure and batteries and the lease of bus chassis and the risks associated with each. This has included advising:
- on a framework services agreement providing electric buses, batteries and charging infrastructure initially in relation to over 150 buses. This agreement was a first of its kind in this sector because the bus operator's accountants assessed that the agreement created off balance sheet treatment.
- on their £20 million receivables financing with NatWest, in respect of the fixed income streams under lease agreements for bus chassis and embedded lease contracts for bus batteries and charging infrastructure.
- on operating leases and hybrid finance/service agreements for the provision of bus batteries and charging infrastructure to major bus companies in the UK including: Abellio, Arriva, First Group, National Express and Stagecoach.
- Advised a 50:50 joint venture vehicle established by Hitachi Rail Limited and FirstGroup plc, on arrangements for the purchase and leasing of up to 1,000 electric bus batteries valued at c.£100 million.
- Advised Transport UK Group on the procurement and financing of electric buses from Wrightbus, and on the infrastructure, works required at its depots to support electric buses.
- Advised Mitsui on its involvement in the ZEBRA (Zero emission bus regime) scheme to finance the implementation of buses and related infrastructure in the Milton Keynes area.
- Advised Macquarie on its new blended finance platform with Green Climate Fund (GCF), which seeks to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles across India. The platform aims to deliver $US1.5 billion over the investment term.
Awards and Recognition
Our People
Darren Fodey
Partner
London
Tammy Samuel
Partner - Head of KSA & Head of Rail & Road
London
Richard Hughes
Partner
London
Jonathan Cripps
Partner - Head of Projects, Energy & Infrastructure & Head of Energy Transition sector
London
Graeme Barton
Partner
London
Bertie Chilton
Managing Associate
London