Almost 400 electric vehicle chargers to be rolled out

Birmingham is to get a network of almost 400 fast and rapid charging points for electric vehicles, powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, starting this autumn.

The city council has secured £2.92 million from the government's Office for Low Emission Vehicles and appointed ESB EV Solutions as its partner to develop the network.

Taxis first

Over the next two years, an initial network of 394 charge points will be installed across the city. The first phase will focus on the city centre, to help the city's taxi fleet switch to electric, but the chargers will also be open to the public and local businesses.

The fast and rapid chargers will allow electric taxis, cars and vans to pick up a significant charge in less than 30 minutes, depending on the vehicle. A pay-for-use model will be introduced across the network in the coming months, once the first chargers are in place.

A 12-year strategy

The council will work with ESB EV Solutions to develop a charging strategy for the next 12 years, setting out plans for a city-wide network designed around the needs of every community in Birmingham.

Locations for the charge points will be chosen based on detailed assessments of where demand is expected to be, so that they are as useful as possible to drivers.

"Huge news for our city"

Councillor Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and the environment, said the network was a major step towards the council's climate emergency commitment to cut carbon emissions.

"This is huge news for our city, and a major step in supporting our climate emergency commitment to cut carbon emissions. 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," he said.

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

Niall Hogan, head of ESB EV Solutions, said the company had worked with Transport for London and Coventry City Council and could see the huge benefit of building a sustainable future for cities. "We look forward to supporting Birmingham and all of its citizens as they transition to low carbon motoring," he said.

Ahead of the Clean Air Zone

The network is closely linked to the city's plans for a Clean Air Zone inside the Middleway ring road, which will charge the most polluting vehicles to enter. The zone was due to start this year, but its launch has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Taxis spend much of their day in the city centre, so helping drivers switch to electric vehicles is one of the most effective ways to cut pollution where it is worst. The council has already set aside money to help taxi drivers upgrade to cleaner vehicles.

The council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and has set an ambition for Birmingham to become carbon neutral by 2030. A reliable network of public chargers is seen as essential if more residents are to make the switch to electric cars.