EV infrastructure firms Char.gy and EasyGo have made deals with local authorities in England and Scotland to hasten the rollout of public EV chargepoints across the UK.
Highland Council, Aberdeen City Council, and Moray Council have announced that EasyGo has been awarded a 20-year contract, worth approximately £300 million, to provide EV charging infrastructure to the north of Scotland.
The contract will see charging capacity in the north of Scotland more than double as 570 new chargepoints are installed in the region by 2028. Under the deal, EasyGo will also adopt and maintain all existing council-owned chargepoints in the region.
Transport Scotland has committed over £7 million in funding to enable the partnership, sourced from the Scottish government’s £30 million Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund. This fund was launched in 2022 to support local authorities to work with the private sector to grow Scotland’s EV charging network. This grant is both the largest awarded since the fund was launched three years ago, and the first inter-council contract to have been awarded.
Ollie Chatten, CEO of EasyGo, said: “Supporting progressive councils across the country in building out EV infrastructure is a vital step towards a more sustainable and future-focused Scotland.”
Councillor Kathleen Robertson, leader of Moray Council, said that the deal highlights how collaborative efforts in the region can deliver significant benefits for all involved. She added: “We’re not only expanding the electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Moray but working with our neighbours to open up economic growth and development opportunities across our region.”
Char.gy and Barnet Council partner to roll out 1,000 chargepoints
Meanwhile in England, Barnet Council has partnered with chargepoint operator Char.gy to bring an additional 1,000 public EV chargepoints to the borough by 2028.
Of these, 500 are being installed in the first phase, which has already begun and will continue for the next three months, with the remaining 500 being installed within the next three years. Once the installations have been completed, the number of public chargers in the borough will total 2,500. The installations will target streets and neigbourhoods where demand for EV chargers is rising, particularly those which don’t have access to driveways or home chargers.
The project is being funded by almost £800,000 in government funding· Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), which covers 60% of the cost of the rollout. Char.gy is funding the remaining cost of the installations, meaning these will be completed at zero cost to the council.
John Lewis, CEO at char.gy, said: “Barnet is showing real leadership with this rollout – making it easier for people to make the switch to electric by ensuring charging is available right outside their homes.”
Councillor Alan Schneiderman, cabinet member for environment and climate change, agreed, adding: “Lots more electric vehicle charge points is great news for Barnet residents. It’s another step in the right direction as we move towards becoming a Net Zero borough by 2042.”
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