THOUSANDS of households across Reading are set to get access to local public electric vehicle (EV) charging points under a new deal struck by Reading Borough Council.
Around 2,600 charging points will be installed in residential streets around the borough where there is little or no off-street parking.
The project aims to speed up the transition to electric vehicles, reducing polluting vehicle emissions and improving air quality and public health in the borough.
Following a tendering process, the council has signed a 15-year contract with supplier Char.gy to install around 2,600 public EV chargers across Reading.
It comes after councillors secured more than £860k from the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund to finance the scheme.
The first on-street EV charging points will start to be installed in the coming months and around 1,500 will be in place over the next two years.
Most will be fitted to existing lamp columns to keep disruption to a minimum, with standalone units installed where space allows.
The project aims to cover the whole of the borough, but priority will be given to high-density residential areas without access to off-street parking.
At least 90% of Reading households without off-street parking should be within 100m of on-street parking provision through the scheme.
A further £202,000 has been awarded to the council to subsidise the installation of pavement channels to allow around 400 households to charge their vehicles on the street from their own property.
Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said: “This scheme aims to speed up the transition to electric vehicles by giving households across Reading access to around 2,600 public charging points.
“Almost half of households in the borough do not have driveways or off-street parking which is a significant barrier to people choosing EVs.
“We will be prioritising high-density residential areas without access to off-street parking for the installation of public charging points to clear the way for more people to make the switch to electric.
“Transport is responsible for around 26% of carbon emissions in Reading. Alongside the Council’s work to increase active travel and the use of public transport, boosted by £9m government funding for 49 new electric buses, this scheme will help improve our local environment, air quality and the health of Reading residents.”
John Lewis, CEO of char.gy, said: “Today’s announcement is a big milestone for both char.gy and Reading Borough Council.
“Together, we’ll deliver thousands of public charge points designed around the way people in Reading actually live, park and travel.
“Our goal is to create a network that’s reliable, accessible and fair, giving more people the confidence to make the switch to electric vehicles.
“We’re proud to support Reading’s wider sustainability ambitions, helping to accelerate the transition to cleaner transport and better air quality for local communities.”
