Durham County Council has announced a new partnership with Zest to provide 250 new EV public charging points across the county.
The project is being supported by a grant of more than £4 million from the government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) scheme, while Zest will also invest more than £7 million to provide and operate the charge points, systems and long-term provision of the service.
First phase of the charging point installation will begin in September.
With forty percent of residents in County Durham not having a driveway, the project aims to help enable those people to run EVs.
The council has a target to reduce emissions by 80 per cent over the next three years and achieve net zero across the county by 2045.
Cllr Mark Wilkes, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and climate change, said, “We are delighted to be able to expand our EV infrastructure across the county.
“It really is important that we can offer residents more charging points as a better, more accessible network will make it easier for people to drive an electric vehicle.”
Robin Heap, CEO and Founder of Zest, said, “The combination of investment from LEVI and Zest enables forward-looking local authorities like Durham to deliver ambitious EV projects for all residents. It should be seen as a blueprint for a more equitable approach to strategic infrastructure.
“For us, it’s part of an ongoing strategy to provide convenient charging that synchronises with peoples’ everyday lives – wherever they usually park. We look forward to working alongside the Durham team for years to come.”
