Drivers across the South East of England are set to benefit from a huge investment to install 10,000 new electric car chargers.
Kent County Council has confirmed that it will be rolling out thousands of on-street electric vehicle chargers in a major boost to EV owners.
More than £12million in funding has been awarded by the Department for Transport’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capital Fund.
The project will not involve any funding from Kent County Council and will become the largest LEVI project in England for a local authority.
The first batch of new electric car chargers will be installed in the summer later this year, with a focus on areas with limited off-street parking.
Peter Osborne, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at Kent County Council, said the local authority was proud to offer such amenities to drivers across the region.
The Reform councillor for Hythe West described it as “practical help” for motorists and would help the region prepare for future net zero goals.
“It will deliver reliable and affordable charging within walking distance of their homes, which is particularly important for people who do not have off-road parking,” he added.
More than 10,000 chargers will be installed across Kent thanks to a £12million grant
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GETTY
As part of the installation process, residents across the county have been invited to share locations that could be suitable for the chargers.
Mr Osborne confirmed that Kent County Council would assess each suggestion over the coming months to create a targeted rollout.
The local authority is partnering with chargepoint operator Urban Fox to install the 10,000 EV charging sockets across the county.
It confirmed that a 20-year contract had been confirmed, with the rollout of the chargers taking place with “minimal disruption to local residents”.
The new funding has been praised as a ‘significant step’ for Kent and its drivers
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KENT COUNTY COUNCIL
Urban Fox is also involved in selecting the locations to ensure those with limited access to off-street parking benefit the most.
Oli Freeling-Wilkinson, CEO for Urban Fox, said: “This programme represents a significant step forward for EV charging in Kent.
“Being awarded the contract to deliver up to 10,000 charging sockets is a clear vote of confidence in Urban Fox’s ability to deliver at scale while keeping communities at the heart of every project.
“Working in partnership with Kent County Council, we’ll focus on delivering accessible, reliable on-street charging in the places residents need it most, particularly for those without off-street parking.”
Kent County Council and Urban Fox have signed a 20-year contract
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KENT COUNTY COUNCIL
Data from Zapmap shows that there are currently 88,513 public charging devices around the UK, with 122,690 connectors.
The South East of England has the second-highest number of chargers in the UK, 11,405, falling only behind London, which has a staggering 27,986.
Despite this, the region has the most rapid and ultra-rapid chargers with 2,600. The Government confirmed an extra £200million for EV chargers in the recent Autumn Budget.
“We’re building a reliable and accessible charging network in Kent with over £12million investment to install 10,000 public chargers, making it easier than ever for local people to power up their EVs wherever they live or travel,” Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather said.
