Following news in March 2023 that Be.EV and Stockport Council signed a £15 million deal to improve access to charging across the community by installing electric vehicle (EV) charge points at 20 locations, the first installation has been completed.
The new Be.EV charge points are located at Romiley Precinct, with four charging bays – two ultra-rapid, one rapid and one fast, with the ultra-rapid chargers capable of adding 125 miles of range in a short 15-minute stop.
Be.EV funded all up-front installation and operating costs for the Romiley Precinct hub.
Stockport Council will retain ownership of the sites but the chargers will be installed and managed by Be.EV, with Stockport Council receiving a share of the revenue from the charge points.
“It is great to see the first hub from our partnership with Stockport Council up and running, and we’re excited to install more state-of-the-art charging infrastructure across the borough,” said Asif Ghafoor, CEO of Be.EV.
“Stockport Council is getting ahead of the curve by providing reliable ultra-rapid and rapid charging for its residents to use that do not have off-road parking of their own, while generating additional footfall to retail hot spots.
“Other councils should sit up and take notice – sites like these are perfect for simultaneously achieving their net-zero transition goals while also providing a boost to local businesses.”
Thanks to a Live data partnership between Be.EV and Zapmap, users of the Zapmap app and desktop map are able to view the live status and availability of Be.EV charge points at any time, making planning EV charging stops even easier.
“It is fantastic to see the first charging point in operation following the agreement signed in 2023,” said Cllr Mark Roberts, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment.
“The whole of Stockport, including the council, residents and businesses, must make big changes to reduce our emissions now so that we stop contributing to climate change and providing this new infrastructure will help us on that challenging journey.
“Installing more electric vehicle chargers is a key element for the council with regards to its commitment to taking action on climate change as we aim for Stockport to be carbon neutral by 2038.”
