Solihull to install 500 electric vehicle charging points
A new contract to ‘supercharge the borough’s EV charging network’ in Solihull will see 500 electric vehicle charging points fitted.
Solihull council has awarded a contract to pan-European charge point operator Qwello to install new charging points within council car parks and on-street destinations by 2026.
Phase one of the project will see 150 charging points installed across nine locations, 16 of these will be ultra-rapid charging points provided by InstaVolt.
The roll-out of new charging points is supported by a £800,000 grant from the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot project, awarded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and Department for Transport (DfT) and is expected to go live this summer,
The full list of phase-one locations, subject to consultation and approval of final designs, includes Parkfield Drive, Castle Bromwich, North Solihull Sports Centre, Chelmsley Wood, Tudor Grange Leisure Centre, Town Centre, Station Road, Town Centre, Dominion Court Car Park, Town Centre, Oxhill Road, Solihull Lodge, Village Car Park (behind Greswolde Arms), Knowle, Library Car Park, Balsall Common and Main Road, Meriden.
Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, cabinet portfolio holder for Climate Change and Planning, said: “This is fantastic news for Solihull which will more than double the borough’s existing EV charging capacity. Road traffic currently accounts for 41% of the borough’s overall greenhouse gas emissions, so making the switch to electric vehicles is going to be an essential part of our efforts to tackle climate change. By facilitating the transition away from fossil-fuelled vehicles we also have an exciting opportunity to drive improvements in air quality that will benefit the health and economy of Solihull.
“The awarding of this contract drives our ambition for Solihull to be at the forefront of electrification both regionally and nationally, and we are delighted to be working with leading suppliers Qwello and InstaVolt on this exciting scheme.”
Qwello UK’s managing director, Martin Hale, said: “Qwello has a proven track record of delivering charging solutions across many European cities and towns including London, Munich and Stockholm. All our chargers offer contactless payment as standard and feature a class-leading clear and accessible user interface.
“We are thrilled to be working with our installation and maintenance partners Radius Charge Installations, InstaVolt and Solihull Council to help realise their ambitious EV charging plans.”
