Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Infrastructure and TechnologyLatestNews

South Tyneside working with Connected Kerb

South Tyneside Council is working with Connected Kerb to upgrade and expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the borough.

The deal will see the installation of up to 2,000 new charging points over the 20-year partnership. New chargers will be installed at 20 locations over the first two years, across key residential, commercial and retail locations. Since work started in July 2024, new chargers have been installed in five car parks to date, providing an additional 22 sockets.

Rapid charging points will also be upgraded and adopted on to the Connected Kerb network across 14 locations, providing 15 sockets of 50kW power. Work continues to upgrade existing sites, with chargers set to be replaced at a further 33 locations to provide around 100 sockets by the end of summer 2025, it said.

The council previously had 59 electric vehicle charging points across the borough. The programme of work involves replacing legacy charge points with Connected Kerb’s on-street chargers as well as installing the new charging points. The partnership supports the local authority’s drive to reduce carbon emissions and be more sustainable having declared a climate emergency in July 2019.

One of the main changes will be introducing a tariff for electricity consumption, which is currently subsidised by the council at a cost of £200,000 per year, having seen a 70% increase in use and consumption between 2021 and 2022 alone. The move will also save the council a further £20,000 a year in back office and regular maintenance costs.

Rugby legend and Connected Kerb Brand Ambassador, Martin Offiah MBE, who recently visited South Tyneside, said:

“Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is crucial for a smooth transition from traditional vehicles to electric ones.

“It’s fantastic to see such significant progress in South Tyneside. By expanding the charging network, we can ensure that people have the confidence to switch to electric vehicles, knowing they can charge wherever they go.”

Councillor Tracey Dixon, Leader of South Tyneside Council, said:

“This new operational model is helping to expand and enhance our existing infrastructure to provide a more reliable, modern comprehensive system that will also give us the scope to grow the network further in future to meet demand as more people turn to using electric vehicles.

“By providing the necessary infrastructure for an efficient and reliable network, we hope that residents will have the confidence to make the switch to electric.”

Councillor Margaret Meling, Lead Member for Economic Growth and Transport said:

“Under the new model, Connected Kerb will manage and maintain the network and the price introduction will bring us in line with our regional neighbours.

“Providing better, reliable and accessible charging infrastructure is a huge step forward in supporting our sustainability ambitions and the wider work we are doing to help cut carbon emissions.”

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