Charge point operator (CPO) Believ has joined forces with a parish council in Nottinghamshire to deliver free to use electric vehicle (EV) charging.
A fast chargepoint and a rapid chargepoint have been installed in the Awsworth village hall car park, which serves as a hub for local community activities. The location was also deemed ideal as residents in surrounding streets primarily live in housing which does not support private charging at home. The fast charge point will be able to serve these residents, while the rapid charge point will allow those using the area for a shorter period of time to charge up their vehicles within an hour.
Cllr John Mortimer of Awsworth Parish Council spoke of the importance of providing rural communities with access to EV charging infrastructure when they are often overlooked: “With the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars fast approaching, the time will come where most vehicles are electric. We need to support residents who would otherwise struggle to accommodate this shift towards sustainable transport. The groundwork has been configured so that we can easily add more charge points as EV use increases – helping us to future proof our provision.”
Amanda Rymell, senior public sector partnerships manager, at Believ agreed, adding: “Our philosophy is to ensure that no one is left behind in the switch to electric transport. This means we must ensure that EV charging infrastructure is in place to give everyone the opportunity to own and enjoy an EV, and not just in UK towns or cities.”
Guy Bartlett, Believ CEO, concludes: “We’re delighted to have another progressive, forward-thinking council on board and joining our journey to deliver cleaner air for all.”
Chargepoint availability a major concern in rural areas
With the incoming ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles looming ever-closer, the demand for public EV charging facilities is nowhere stronger than in rural areas, who are often left out of the public charging conversation.
Research by Cornwall Insight found that the UK needs to more than double the rate at which it is installing publicly available EV chargers in order to hit the UK government’s target of installing 300,000 chargers by 2030, with Jamie Maule, a research analyst at Cornwall Insight noting that “Fear around a lack of chargepoints is a major reason why many people hesitate to switch from traditional vehicles to EVs.”.
In response to this growing demand, many private businesses are looking to expand their charging infrastructure. Research from Believ from earlier this year has shown that 57% of businesses plan to double their EV charging capacity by 2028, with 69% of businesses believing this will attract customers.
