7:42 am, November 9, 2021
A private firm has announced £1.9bn of investment to fund a massive rollout of roadside chargers designed to help drivers who can’t currently charge their EV at home.
Connected Kerb has pledged to install 190,000 chargers by 2030 with 10,000 set to be in place before the end of the year.
There are then 30,000 new charging points in the pipeline for 2022 before the rollout steps up further over the coming years.
The firm has also revealed that West Sussex County Council will deploy thousands of public charge points through Connected Kerb over the next 10 years.
The deal has been described as a ‘blueprint’ for other local authorities to follow in the future.
The EV charging specialist is fully funding the project and will also manage and maintain the chargers.
Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: ‘Electric vehicles offer us an opportunity to travel without emitting carbon or having a negative impact on air quality, but we know that lack of public charge points is preventing many West Sussex residents from making the switch.
‘I am delighted to be taking another step forward to address this problem which will help residents take practical steps to address climate change and I look forward to working alongside Connected Kerb and our district and borough colleagues to deliver the network of West Sussex charge points.’
Research by energy watchdog Ofgem has found that one in four UK households intend to buy an electric car in the next five years as the 2035 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles approaches.
However, Connected Kerb says there is currently just one public-access on-street EV charger for every 52 EVs.
Dr Chris Pateman-Jones, chief executive officer of Connected Kerb, said: ‘Knowing you can arrive at virtually any location, at any time, in any vehicle and charge your battery without inconvenience or faff is the reality we must deliver to create an EV society.
‘This project – the largest of its kind in the UK – personifies that future, helping residents to reduce their carbon footprint and making electric vehicle charging accessible to those without off-street parking.’
