Chargepoint operator (CPO) Zest has worked with the Church Commissioners for England to install EV charging facilities on the Hyde Park Estate.
A total of 12 charging spaces have been deployed across the Estate, which covers 90 acres and borders London’s famed Sussex Gardens, Edgware Road, and Bayswater Road. Six of these spaces are located at the Water Gardens and are allocated for residents there, with four spaces being installed at Porchester Place for contractors driving electric vans and two publicly accessible charging spaces installed at the Quadrangle.
As part of the deal with the Church Commissioners for England, Zest will operate and manage the charging facilities across the estate for the next 15 years. Zest currently owns and operates over 1,000 chargepoints across the capital.
Laura Whyte, principal asset manager at the Church Commissioners for England, noted that while the organisation is aware of Zest’s expansive portfolio of EV charging assets, the Church Commissioners for England “were more interested in their ability to provide a long-term service for residents, in tune with the unique setting and environmental values of the Hyde Park Estate”. She added: “This project achieves these aims, and this partnership is a positive step towards the EV transition and improving local air quality.”
Robin Heap, Zest CEO, agreed, noting that the Church Commissioners for England share the same goal as Zest in reducing transport emissions. He added: “The new facilities across the Hyde Park Estate bear witness to that, providing residents, visitors and the local community with EV charging exactly where they need it, right on the doorstep.”
Zest has been heavily involved with expanding the reach of EV charging facilities across the UK, particularly in suburban areas. Last week, the CPO announced that it had begun the first phase of a plan to roll out 120 new EV chargers across two towns in the Midlands; in January of this year, Zest installed a public charging hub in Oscott, Birmingham, in collaboration with the local council, having partnered with Newport City Council for a 15-year concession agreement just one month prior. More recently, in March, Zest unveiled a new ultra-rapid EV charging facility in Bolton, which provides 12 160 kW charging bays for local residents on the site of a formerly derelict car park near the city’s ring road.
