Connected Kerb to expand charging infrastructure in NE England

UK charge point operator Connected Kerb announced plans to more than double the number of electric vehicle chargers in North East England, following its partnership with South Tyneside Council.

Under the partnership with South Tyneside Council, the two companies will cooperate to deploy up to 2,100 new charge points. According to the initiators, this partnership will mark the largest installation of public EV charge points in the North of England so far. A major reason is the underdeveloped charging infrastructure: despite being home to about 4 per cent of the UK’s population, it has only 2.7 per cent of the UK’s charging stations. To put this in more relatable numbers: “This equates to just 58 chargers per 100,000 people, compared to 193 in London.”

The new partnership will represent a 126 per cent increase in charging infrastructure, but will be deployed over a 20-year period, starting this month. Despite the lengthy timetable, most drivers will not have to wait so long, as the partners announced that the partnership “will see 80% of the chargers operational in the next two years alone, increasing the number of council-operated chargers in South Tyneside more than 30-fold.”

“With millions of pounds available to local authorities from Government initiatives such as the LEVI Fund, councils are in the driving seat to take decisive, meaningful action to deploy charge points where their communities need them the most,” explained Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, adding: “Our partnership with South Tyneside Council is yet another example of bold ambition turned into action.”

“The entire country is undergoing a massive shift in ways in which we travel, and we are committed to ensuring that South Tyneside plays its part. With the first chargers expected to be in the ground by the end of March, we are committed to giving more residents the confidence they need to make the switch to electric, whilst supporting our sustainability agenda,” added Cllr Ernest Gibson, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change at South Tyneside Council.

A similar initiative is currently underway in West Sussex, where Connected Kerb is working with the County Council to install charging infrastructure. Connected Kerb is also active in Cardiff and Gloucestershire.

connectedkerb.com