Hertfordshire County Council has appointed EV charge point operator Believ to deliver a £38 million expansion of public charging infrastructure.
The initiative will see Believ install up to 3,974 Standard-Plus sockets (22kW) and 248 Rapid sockets (50kW) across Dacorum, Hertsmere, Three Rivers and Watford, supported by a £36 million investment from the company.
Also, Hertfordshire County Council will contribute £2.1 million through the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund.
Most of these charge points will be installed on residential streets, prioritising areas where households do not have access to private driveways and meeting the need for long-stay and overnight charging.
Rapid chargers will also be installed in selected council car parks to support drivers who require quicker top-ups.
Believ will manage the full network, including planning, installation, operation and ongoing maintenance of all chargers, with a tailored, site-by-site delivery approach designed to overcome common on-street challenges such as power constraints, limited land availability and footpath width.
Locations have been identified in close consultation with the council, with reduced charging tariffs offered for the first year of the contract.
Executive Director of Growth and Environment, Hertfordshire County Council, Mark Doran said, “We know that lack of access to home charging can be a barrier for many people, particularly those without driveways.
“This programme will help address that by providing reliable, convenient charging options closer to where people live.”
Guy Bartlett, Believ CEO said, “Charging access shouldn’t depend on having a driveway.
“This partnership will bring more than 4,000 on-street, long-stay chargers and 240 rapids to communities within Hertfordshire – making it much easier for residents to plug in locally, charge overnight, or top up quickly when they need to.”
