SSE enterprise wins government funding to pilot Oxfordshire EV charging hubs
Published by John Williams,
Editorial Assistant
Energy Global,
SSE Enterprise has successfully secured government funding for a £5.2m (£3.4m grant-funded) pilot scheme helping homeowners without off-road parking charge their electric vehicles (EVs) for the Park and Charge scheme.
EV technology has developed rapidly in recent years and EV numbers on the roads are increasing as the UK government seeks to decarbonise transport in the UK. But charging can prove a headache for those in flats or without parking, and this project will see the company install charging hubs, which will enable residents, visitors and businesses to charge at up to 35 local authority owned car parks across the area.
The company is part of a consortium building the scheme which includes the Zeta Group, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford University and [ui!]uk.
Kevin Welstead, Director of SSE Enterprise’s EV team, said: “Encouraging drivers to embrace the EVs transition is key to supporting the UK Government’s Net Zero by 2050 ambition.
“Lack of off-street charging is a real barrier to EV take up in many local areas and our innovative approach will enable residents to opt for an EV, even though they do not have a home charging point.”
Innovate UK is part of the government’s UK Research and Innovation agency. It has awarded £37million to 12 projects aimed at transforming the way we use electric vehicles. The funding announcement marks the 1 year anniversary of the government’s ‘Road to Zero’ strategy, which set out new measures to clean up road transport and reduce emissions.
Future of mobility minister, Michael Ellis, said: “We’re charging up the transport revolution and investing in technologies to transform the experience for electric vehicle drivers.
“Ensuring the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is reliable and innovative is encouraging more people to join the record numbers of ultra-low emission vehicle users already on UK roads.”
SSE plc last week announced it will convert 3500 of its fleet to EVs as part of its strategy of being a leading energy provider in a low carbon world and a member of EV100. It will remove petrol and diesel from its fleet by 2030. The company has also pledged to help support 10 million vehicles on UK roads, creating the infrastructure needed to support electrification in the UK.
Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/electric-hybrid/24072019/sse-enterprise-wins-government-funding-to-pilot-oxfordshire-ev-charging-hubs/
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