Connected Kerb, one of the UK’s leading charge point operators, today announces plans to more than double the number of electric vehicle (EV) chargers in North East England, following its partnership with South Tyneside Council.
The company has partnered with South Tyneside Council to deploy up to 2,100 new charge points. The partnership will mark the single largest installation of public EV charge points in the North of England to date.
Image Credit: Andy Hughes
The North East hosts just 2.7% of the UK’s public charging infrastructure, despite being home to almost 4% of the UK’s population. This equates to just 58 chargers per 100,000 people, compared to 193 in London, demonstrating the urgent need to level-up access to charge points across the region.
The new deployment represents a 126% boost to the North East’s existing network. Up to 2,100 will be installed in South Tyneside over the next 20 years – the largest single rollout in the North – with work due to begin this month.
With over a third of UK drivers calling for more charging infrastructure before they make the switch to an electric vehicle, Connected Kerb’s rollout of public charging infrastructure will play a key role in empowering drivers across the North East to get behind the wheel of an electric car.
Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, said: “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. Our partnership with South Tyneside Council is yet another example of bold ambition turned into action.”
The partnership between Connected Kerb and South Tyneside Council 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. The original network reported operational uptime of 56% while the new network will demand 99%.
Image Credit: Andy Hughes
The first phase of the installation will take place over at least 41 sites, including community centres, sports facilities and libraries such as Monkton Stadium, The Word and The Customs House Mill Dam car park. As part of the rollout, 43 existing charge points will be upgraded, increasing reliability and network uptime for users.
The move supports South Tyneside Council’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and become a carbon neutral authority by 2030.
Cllr Ernest Gibson, Lead Member for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change at South Tyneside Council said: “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. Our partnership with Connected Kerb – enabling the largest rollout of EV chargers in the North East – provides a blueprint for other councils right across the UK to follow.”
Image Credit: Andy Hughes
Additionally, Connected Kerb have been awarded a place on the selective NEPO framework for local authority EV charge point procurement in the North East. This means that the company can be selected from a shortlist of suppliers for upcoming projects, including the LEVI funding of £16 million later in 2024.
Changing the world for good, one charge at a time
The announcement comes as Connected Kerb releases its 2023 annual report, Changing the world for good, one charge at a time. Connected Kerb’s network – now 5,500 charge points strong – is one of the largest in the UK. The company deployed over 2,100 charge points in 2023 alone, and dispensed over 3.8 million kWh of energy, enough to power 23 million EV miles – the equivalent of driving from London to Cape Town over 2,800 times.
Alongside major network growth, reliability remained paramount, recognised by Zap Map which placed Connected Kerb as a top on-street charging operator, and the network achieved an impressive 99.1% uptime. 2023 also saw Connected Kerb welcome Juliet Davenport OBE as the new Chair of the Board, who has brought her extensive experience as founder and CEO of Good Energy to continue to supercharge the company’s growth.
