Infrastructure provider Zest is to install 120 new EV charging points on land owned by Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District Council.
The company, 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 at 33 locations.
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.
In addition, the borough council in Redditch will work with Zest on the feasibility of adding charging points at more council owned land, in a next phase of plans to come.
A rollout plan is now being developed, and the first of the new chargers are expected to be installed before spring.
In this initial phase the contract will mostly add more chargers to more council-owned car parks, while also bringing chargers to the councils’ main workplaces.
Redditch Borough Councillor Gemma Monaco, whose portfolio includes Climate Change, said, “We’re delighted to deliver on a commitment we made to our residents and businesses to boost EV charger availability in Redditch by adding more chargers on our land.
“It’s something that more and more people are demanding, and the more we can support people to choose electric the better, not least because lower vehicle emissions means better air quality.”
Robin Heap, Zest CEO 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.”
