At a glance:
- Around 2,600 new EV chargers coming to residential streets across the borough
- At least 9 in 10 households without a driveway will be within 100 metres of a charger
- Charging with char.gy - find and pay directly in the Zapmap app
Reading Borough Council has partnered with charge point provider char.gy to bring around 2,600 public EV charging points to residential streets across Reading, making it easier than ever for local people to make the switch to an electric vehicle, even without off-street parking.
Nearly half of Reading households don't have a driveway or private parking, now, under the new 15-year partnership, charge points will be rolled out across the borough, prioritising residential areas where parking is on-street. The goal: at least 90% of households without a driveway will be within 100 metres of a public charger.
The first of the new char.gy charge points will begin appearing in the coming months, with around 1,500 in place within two years. Most will be fitted to existing lamp columns to keep disruption minimal, with standalone units where space allows.
Reading Borough Council secured £866,000 from the government's Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund to make the scheme happen, at no direct cost to residents.
Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:
This scheme aims to speed up the transition to electric vehicles by giving households across Reading access to around 2,600 public charging points. Almost half of households in the borough do not have driveways or off-street parking which is a significant barrier to people choosing EVs.
We will be prioritising high-density residential areas without access to off-street parking for the installation of public charging points to clear the way for more people to make the switch to electric.
Transport is responsible for around 26% of carbon emissions in Reading. Alongside the Council’s work to increase active travel and the use of public transport, boosted by £9m government funding for 49 new electric buses, this scheme will help improve our local environment, air quality and the health of Reading residents.
John Lewis, CEO of char.gy, said:
Today's announcement is a big milestone for both char.gy and Reading Borough Council. Together, we'll deliver thousands of public charge points designed around the way people in Reading actually live, park and travel. Our goal is to create a network that's reliable, accessible and fair, giving more people the confidence to make the switch to electric vehicles.
We're proud to support Reading's wider sustainability ambitions, helping to accelerate the transition to cleaner transport and better air quality for local communities.
A separate scheme, also funded by the government, is set to launch soon where £202,000 has been awarded to help around 400 households install pavement channels, a discreet cable channel built into the pavement, so residents can safely run a charging cable from their home to a car parked outside.
All of char.gy's chargers can be found and paid for via the Zapmap app, where live status and availability information is shared 24 hours a day.
