Chargepoint operator (CPO) Believ has announced that it will deliver 6,000 new public EV chargers across Suffolk in partnership with Suffolk County Council.
Suffolk County Council has received £5.3 million of funding from the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, a funding pool aimed at helping local authorities deliver EV chargepoint facilities for local residents without access to off-street parking. This new rollout of EV chargers is delivered using a proportion of the LEVI funding, as well as a £16 million finance injection from Believ.
Suffolk County Council is the first local authority in England to award their LEVI funding tender and then later sign a contract with a CPO. The rollout will begin this summer and will focus on placing chargepoints on residential streets; many of the future locations for chargepoints were suggested by local residents following a survey undertaken last year.
The majority of the chargepoints to be installed will be bollard-style units on the kerbside, primarily designed for long-stay or overnight charging. Drivers will be able to take advantage of an overnight off-peak tariff, with residents able to access a dedicated tariff which will feature discounted charging at all times. Meanwhile, public car parks will be able to be fitted with a number of rapid and ultra-rapid chargepoints so that locals and visitors can charge quickly on the go.
Believ will own, operate and maintain the chargepoints, which will run on 100% renewable energy. A minimum of 2,100 on-street chargepoints will be installed by the end of 2026, with a further 400 chargers installed in carparks over this period. Over the course of the project, a total of 6,000 chargers will be installed.
According to Suffolk County Council, 25% of households in Suffolk don’t have access to a driveway for off-street charging, something which Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for environment, communities and equality, Councillor Philip Fairclough-Mutton called “a significant barrier” for many people looking to switch to an EV.
Fairclough-Mutton added: “The benefits of EV ownership go beyond helping residents and businesses to reduce their carbon emissions and their impact on climate change. It means together we can contribute to improving Suffolk’s air quality and enabling us to live healthier lives.”
The news comes hot on the heels of another major LEVI deal being delivered in the south of England. Last week, fellow CPO Char.gy announced a landmark partnership with Brighton and Hove Council to install another 6,000 EV chargepoints across residential areas in Brighton and Hove.
