First roadside electric vehicle charging points installed across Northamptonshire

Roadside electric vehicle charging points have been installed across Northamptonshire, for the first time.

There are now 82 residential, on-street EV charging sockets across 14 locations in the county, delivered via a partnership between provider, Liberty Charge, and West and North Northamptonshire Councils.

According to the provider, residential, on-street locations have been chosen to address the EV charging needs of those who do not have access to a driveway, or any other means of privately charging their vehicles.

Two charging points have been installed at each site, to serve up to four vehicles at a time. The chargers are 22kW Fast Chargers, which can fully charge a single car from empty in three hours.

The seven Northampton sites are:

• Oakwood Road, Abington

• Upper Thrift Street, off Billing Road

• Ardington Road, Abington

• Semilong Road, Semilong

• Barry Road, Abington

• St James’ Park Road, St James

• Vicarage Road, St James

The North Northamptonshire seven sites are:

• Newman Street, Higham Ferrers

• Highfield Road, Thrapston

• York Road, Rushden

• Knox Road, Wellingborough

• Castle Road, Wellingborough

• Telford Way, Kettering

• Linnell Way, Kettering

Councillor Phil Larratt, WNC’s Cabinet member for the environment, highways, transport and waste, said: “Giving our residents the confidence to choose clean green transport is an important step in our vision to be carbon neutral by 2030.

“Achieving that confidence is about providing convenience and reliability, and with climate goals in place, and growing EV ownership, it has to be now.”

Councillor Graham Lawman, NNC’s executive member for Highways, Travel and Assets, added: “These are the first on-street EVCPs to be delivered in the area.

“Only about nine percent of Electric Vehicles are owned by people with no off-street parking against there being about 30 percent of properties in that situation, so, to catch up, it is vital that we progress kerbside charging points like this to enable all drivers the opportunity to charge their cars locally to them and overnight.

“With all installation, power and maintenance costs, as well as logistics, managed by Liberty Charge, liability, risk and hassle is taken away from us, enabling us to concentrate on other green initiatives.

“The funding from Innovate UK means the project has been delivered at no cost to the council; a win-win situation.”

More locations are due to be installed later in 2022.

Liberty Charge says it is entirely responsible for the charging infrastructure’s operation and maintenance