Connected Kerb to install 10,000 EV chargers across Surrey by 2030
Connected Kerb has announced plans to install 10,000 electric vehicle charging points across Surrey by 2030.
The rollout which is the largest deployment of EV chargers by a UK local authority, will see charge points installed at over 1,500 locations across streets and public car parks in Surrey to accelerate EV uptake in the area.
The contract will release up to £60million of investment from Connected Kerb to install public EV charging points both on-street and in public car parks. At present, there is one charger per 9,000 residents in Surrey, but the rollout will see this figure dramatically increase. The partnership expects to deliver over 5,000 fast charging points by 2027, including over 500 rapid charging points across the county.
The recent net Zero Review, published by the Government’s advisor Rt Hon Chris Skidmore MP, highlighted the opportunity for local authorities to take a leading role in the rollout of charging infrastructure. The partnership between Surrey County Council and Connected Kerb supports the delivery of ambitious EV charging infrastructure rollouts at the scale and pace needed to meet targets set by the government and to keep pace with rapidly growing EV adoption – up 40% in 2022 compared to 2021.
Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, said: “If one local authority can deliver such a significant boost to the UK’s charging network, just imagine what we could achieve by 2030 if every city, county, and combined authority was empowered to do the same. The recent Net Zero Review was clear – local authorities can become the driving force behind the rollout of charging infrastructure across the country, and our partnership with Surrey County Council is case and point.
“If local authorities are the door to a clean transport future, then charging networks like Connected Kerb are the key, providing the tools and expertise needed to unlock the transition at the pace and scale required to reach net zero. Although the Government’s estimate of 300,000 chargers by 2030 may feel ambitious, it’s eminently possible – and necessary – to achieve; this deal proves it.”
Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth, Surrey County Council, said: “High-quality, reliable, and accessible charging infrastructure is critical to accelerating the uptake of electric vehicles across the county and serving the needs of all our local communities. Surrey County Council has a commitment to be a carbon net zero county by 2050, and a large part of us achieving that come from supporting residents to make the switch to electric vehicles.
“Over the last two years, we’ve installed over 100 EV chargepoints in Surrey and this has given us the opportunity to trial different suppliers and processes. We have an established relationship with Connected Kerb and this contract will enable us to expand our network of chargepoints and speed up the installation process, to provide services to our residents faster.”
The partnership will see a rapid rollout of on-street chargepoints, with plans to install hundreds of chargepoints within the first year. The ambition is to make one in five of the EV charging bays accessible to drivers with disabilities, in recognition of the need to make EV adoption a practical reality for the 2.35 million blue badge holders on UK roads.
