Birmingham council to roll out rapid charging network for electric vehicles

Birmingham City Council has announced it will start the roll-out of 100% renewable energy electric vehicle charge points across the city from Autumn 2020.

Over the next two years, a network of 394 ‘fast and rapid’ charge points will be installed across Birmingham, focusing on the city centre to support the electrification of Birmingham’s taxi fleet. It will also be accessible to the general public and local businesses.

This initial network development will allow electric taxis, cars and vans to pick up a significant charge in less than 30 minutes (depending on vehicle type). This will enable the expansion of the current charge point network and allow for further investment, where a pay-for-use model will be introduced across the network in the coming months following deployment of the first chargers.

The council has secured major investment to support electric vehicles in the city, including £2.92m from the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and through its newly-procured Electric Vehicle (EV) Network Development Partner, ESB EV Solutions.

Birmingham City Council will work with ESB EV Solutions to develop and deliver a complete charging strategy for the next 12 years. This strategy will set-out plans for a city-wide EV charging system, focused on meeting the specific needs of all communities throughout Birmingham.

‘This is huge news for our city, and a major step in supporting our climate emergency commitment to cut carbon emissions,’ said Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and the Environment.

‘What’s more, it will be a key driver in supporting the electrification of Birmingham’s taxi fleet which is a major step in us improving air quality in the city centre.

‘This is a complete overhaul of our electric vehicle offering and I’m looking forward to seeing the first charging points being installed being later this year.’

Niall Hogan, Head of ESB EV Solutions, commented: ‘We are delighted to partner with Birmingham City Council to provide a public charging network for electric vehicle drivers throughout the city.

‘Having worked with Transport for London and Coventry City Council, we can see the huge benefit of building a sustainable future for our cities. We look forward to supporting Birmingham and all of its citizens as they transition to low carbon motoring.’