Coventry City Council has announced plans to install 400 new vehicle charging points and a new bus charging facility by 2025.
In a drive to make its bus services emission-free, the Council is aiming to have 290 electric buses on the road by 2025. It will close a car park and repurpose it as a charging facility for the growing fleet of electric buses.
“We also want to make sure that we’ve got a fantastic public transport network that’s the right fit for the city, so the new charging facility will make this possible, and help Coventry to become the first all-electric city in the UK,” said Councillor Patricia Hetherton.
The Council also hopes to procure a new tender for a charge point operator for its electrification efforts.
“The new tender for a charge point operator will mean that we can continue to install charge points around the city in the right places for people to quickly and easily charge their cars, so we’re removing the barriers that hold people back from being able to own one,” Hetherton continued.
The West Midlands, with Coventry as its heart, is home to several car manufacturers, including Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin Lagonda, BMW and LEVC – and the area is setting up to become an electrification hub. Earlier this year, in February, Coventry City Council announced intentions to develop a battery ‘gigafactory’ with Coventry Airport.
The city is also home to the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), which includes an “open-access” battery factory. In April, the UKBIC announced that Stellantis company Comau had opened the first semi-automated battery module and battery pack assembly line there.
