West Berkshire Council picks ubitricity for charging

West Berkshire Council has announced it has appointed charge point operator ubitricity to supply, install and manage up to 250 electric vehicle (EV) charge points.

The move will see a four-year contract between the council and ubitricity covering charge points in a range of on-street and residential locations.

It will see bollard charge points, which charge at speed up to 5kW and take only three hours to install, designed to draw power from existing street-lamps and are suitable for rapid residential rollouts, provide a low power, low cost and near-home charging option for councils and local authorities.

The scheme aims to improve the availability of local EV charging infrastructure for residents without private off-street parking. Through various funding streams, the council can receive grants covering up to 60% of residential charge point procurement and installation costs.

The added social value benefits of this contract include using a local workforce where possible, and supporting two locally-based electricians to upskill and complete a City & Guilds EV installation course. In addition, the contract will support STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) events in local secondary schools.

Cllr Adrian Abbs, Executive Member for Climate Action, Recycling and Biodiversity at West Berkshire Council said: “It’s important that we work to ensure residents without private charging points can still have access to chargers. It is also essential that we work towards the right network of public chargers across West Berkshire and so remove range anxiety for all types of EV owners.

“Just as important as the installation is the maintenance and availability of the charging points. This initiative is a step towards our desired end goal of enabling clean air, cost effective transport for as many as possible.”

Toby Butler, UK Managing Director at ubitricity said: “Across the UK we are seeing growing demand from councils and local authorities of all sizes for our industry-leading public charging infrastructure. We are so happy to be working with the council on a project that will make EV ownership even more convenient for both residents and businesses.”

Image courtesy of West Berkshire Council

The Transport + Energy Forum will be offering local authority representatives the opportunity to apply for a fully funded place for the conference in November.

The event, which is taking place on 16th November at the Birmingham Conference & Events Centre, brings together over 200 transport and energy leaders, including some of the most compelling speakers from across the sectors to present, debate and discuss the crucial issues around how to work further and faster to accelerate the transition to a decarbonised future.

Qualified representatives from local authorities can apply for a fully funded place via the event website. The offer includes conference admission, accommodation and an evening celebratory/networking dinner, with day options also available. 

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