Warrington Borough Council has partnered with electric vehicle charging provider Be.EV to support their rapid charging provision.
The council has been investing in it’s network of ‘fast’ electric vehicle chargers since the declaration of a climate emergency in 2019, however it is currently lacking the rapid and ultra-rapid chargers that would provide the coverage needed to meet the needs of the community’s uptake and the subsequent ‘on the go’ charging.
The new charging hub, based at The Forge Shopping Centre in Stockton Heath has already had design confirmed and, with installation underway, is set to go live this winter. It will hold two rapid chargers and one fast charger, across six bays.
The benefit of a rapid charger, is that it allows the user to typically charge their vehicle to 80% in 20-60 minutes, as opposed to the four to six hours that it would take on a 7Kw fast charger. Not only does this save time for the user, but also allows the charger to be used by more people in the day, freeing it up sooner for use by the next person.
Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Transportation, Highways and Public Real, Cllr Hans Mundry, said:
“I’m delighted that we are partnering with Be.EV to introduce these new electric charging points at the Forge car par, which is an exceptionally well-used site in the heart of Stockton Heath.
"We’re committed to doing all we can to help people become more environmentally-friendly in the ways they travel around the borough, and our electric vehicle strategy is an important part of that.
"These new charging points are part of our ongoing work, across the borough, to support more people in making the switch away from traditional petrol or diesel-powered vehicles. I hope the chargers will provide a welcome boost to electric vehicle owners, as well as those who are considering going electric."
This project is one of a number of other initiatives being implemented by Warrington Borough Council to help with the uptake of electric vehicles, including:
- A pilot project to install 30 fast chargers on six streets near Warrington town centre is currently underway, using £95,000 funding from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles’ (OZEV) On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme.
- Warrington’s newly launched Car Club, in partnership with Co Wheels, is giving residents the opportunity to hire an electric car on an hourly or daily basis - co-wheels.org.uk/warrington
- The introduction of an all-electric bus fleet, due for roll out towards the end of 2023, funded through £21.5m from The Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme. A cutting-edge, new bus depot is currently being built, which will be fitted out with electric vehicle charging infrastructure, ready to house the new fleet.
- Warrington Borough Council has also recently been successful in receiving funding, through the Government's £20m Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme, which will contribute towards the roll out up to 200 on street EV chargers, across the borough.
CEO oof Be.EV, Asif Ghafoor, added:
“Progressive local authorities like Warrington Council are entering a new phase with their EV charging strategies. They’ve played a vital role in supporting early uptake of EVs in their communities. Now, it’s about scaling local public charging provision to make EVs accessible to all, whether they can charge at home or not.
“Rapid and ultra-rapid chargers are key in this next phase and technology has moved on significantly since the initial council charging networks were first installed. We’re now supporting local authorities in building out charging infrastructure that offers fair and equal access. That means putting chargers where they are needed the most and, crucially, making sure they work!”
In the wider area, Be.EV operated the largest public EV charging network in Greater Manchester. It also works alongside the area’s ten local authorities on local rollouts and strategies, something that is increasingly important as we approach the 2030 cut-off on petrol and diesel vehicle sales.
