UK: Bedford Council seeks bids for 256 new charge points
The council is now inviting bids from charge point operators for a slice of £1,010,000 in funding secured from the UK government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) initiative. It seeks operators who will match the grant funding with private investment and deliver charging in several “key locations” across the borough through 2040.
“This is a significant step forward in our commitment to creating a sustainable transport network for Bedford Borough,” said Cllr Nicola Gribble, the council’s portfolio holder for Environment. “By increasing the number of public charge points, we are empowering residents to switch to electric vehicles with confidence.”
The council noted that the charge points will “predominantly” offer 7 kW AC. That could mean that some locations will offer more power. The goal is to make it easier for residents without access to their own off-street parking to switch to electric vehicles. Currently, there are around 40 rapid and 70 standard charge points at on-street locations and Council-run car parks, meaning the scheme will significantly increase the availability of chargers.
The initiative will only deliver charge points within the council’s remit. The council emphasises that DC and HPC chargers are being deployed on nearby major roads (motorways and A-roads) by the National Highways agency -meaning some drivers may have to travel further if they want to take advantage of fast charging.
First announced in early 2023, the LEVI fund helps local authorities across the UK expand their EV infrastructure. It is primarily targeted at areas with lower levels of residential off-street parking, with the goal of increasing charging availability on the public network. In January 2025, the UK government announced that an additional £343m (€413m) capital will be made available by the fund over the next two years.
Article by Ciarán Daly
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