£2.1m partnership to bring 120 more EV chargers

A series of new EV charging points are coming to North-East Worcestershire thanks to a partnership with Zest to provide them on council-owned land.

About 120 new chargers are set to come to 33 locations in the area, after Bromsgrove District Council teamed up with Redditch Borough Council to agree a long-term contract with EV infrastructure provider Zest.

Zest, which is backed by the government-sponsored Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF), will invest about £2.1m to provide the new infrastructure for the next 15 to 20 years after winning the contract.

Zest will provide, operate, and maintain the chargers, with no costs for the councils which are providing the land for the chargers to go on for the duration of the deal.

Bromsgrove District Councillor Steve Colella, whose portfolio includes Climate Change, said: “As cars continue to electrify the need for local EV charging infrastructure is increasing, and this council will support this growth where we can, not only to give residents more options but also to help improve local air quality and cut carbon emissions.

“We identified council-owned car parks and buildings where more EV chargers could be added, which Zest will now take forward. Furthermore by collaborating with our counterparts over in Redditch we were able to put out a bigger, better contract and attract even more investment.”

Zest CEO Robin Heap said: “We’re delighted to win this large, forward-thinking contract, one of the first of its kind in the West Midlands. Growing a network that makes charging easy, convenient and reliable helps make the shift to EV a realistic option for everyone. Where councils and commercial landowners have the vision, we have the skills and the funding to make things happen quickly. ‍”

A rollout plan is now being developed, and the first of the new chargers are expected to be installed before spring.

While mostly adding more chargers to more council car parks, adding to 13 existing ones from a previous piece of work, the contract will also bring chargers to the councils’ main workplaces.