Stockport Council agrees multi-million pound deal with Be.EV to bring EV chargers to community

Electric vehicle charging network Be.EV and Stockport Council have signed a £15million deal which will allow 100 electric vehicles to be charged at once. The deal will mean improved access to charging across the community as the sites are spread across 20 locations. 

As well as cleaner air, residents will also benefit from a share of the revenue from the charge points. The chargers will take just two weeks to install and are expected to be operational by the end of the year. In some cases, for example at the site in Massey Street, the work will build upon existing Be.EV chargers to create more capacity and faster charging. 

The work is also future-proofed and will allow for further expansion depending on usage. Anyone will be able to use the chargers but Be.EV members will be able to access a discounted rate across the company’s rapidly growing network. The council will retain ownership of the sites but the chargers will be installed and managed by Be.EV. It will cost around £8million to install the 54 rapid and ultra rapid chargers with the ongoing operational costs of £7million over next 10 years. Be.EV has a proven track record of installing chargers and is Transport for Greater Manchester’s preferred charging partner.

The chargers will be powered by renewable energy from Octopus Energy.

Be.EV CEO Asif Ghafoor said: “Stockport Council has taken a well thought out intelligent approach to providing EV chargers. 

“It is a great example of how the public sector can partner with the private.

“The council wants to deliver cleaner air and they have found these sites for EV chargers. It is our job now to bring the expertise and the commercial incentive to make them fabulous.

“They are the first step in helping the borough and its residents hit their green targets while bringing a financial benefit as well.

“We want other councils to sit up and take notice of this gold standard development or they will be left behind.”

Cllr Mark Roberts, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “I am so pleased that this exciting partnership will be delivering for residents really soon. This work helps us as a council to future proof our borough and the needs of our local people.

“The whole of the Stockport, including the council, residents and businesses, must make big changes to reduce our emissions now so that we stop contributing to climate change and providing this infrastructure will help us on that challenging journey.

“Installing more electric vehicle chargers is a key element for the council with regards to its commitment to taking action on climate change as we aim for Stockport to be carbon neutral by 2038. 

“Not only that, EV ownership is growing in Stockport and Greater Manchester and this is really great news that we are installing, in partnership with Be.EV, more chargers across the borough in a range of different locations that will benefit our residents.”