char.gy and Brighton & Hove City Council have gone live with the first Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) funded charge point on Zapmap.
The Department for Transport (DfT) LEVI Fund supports local authorities in rolling out on-street charging, with a focus on residents who lack off-street parking. Following initial pilot projects, this installation in Brighton & Hove is the first delivered as part of a full LEVI concession contract.
John Lewis, CEO of char.gy, said:
“This project shows what can be achieved when local councils, innovative companies, and digital platforms work together. We’re proud to deliver this milestone – and with Zapmap and the char.gy app, drivers can immediately find and use the new charge point. Our focus is on providing reliable, affordable and convenient EV charging for the residents who need it right now, and we won't be slowing down. This is a win for sustainability and for the local community.”
The new charge point, installed by char.gy, a UK-based charge point operator specialising in on-street and residential charging. at 28 Lawrence Road and delivered in less than two months after contract signature, demonstrates how quickly government funding can translate from pledge to chargers in the ground; a milestone moment the sector has been waiting for.
Crucially, the charge point is now fully visible on Zapmap, the UK’s leading electric vehicle (EV) charging platform, giving residents and visitors clear, digital access to this new infrastructure.
Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zapmap, said:
“We’re delighted to see the first LEVI-funded charger go live on Zapmap. People without access to off-street parking want as close an experience as possible to at home charging, and these char.gy installations do just that for drivers in Brighton & Hove. LEVI funded projects deliver charging infrastructure at scale and we’re looking forward to seeing more going live as part of the overall picture of destination, en-route and near-home charging.”
Through collaboration with the council and Zapmap, char.gy has ensured the charger is not only physically accessible but also digitally discoverable, maximising its impact for local residents and visitors.
Brighton & Hove recently selected char.gy to deliver 6,000 lamppost charge points over the life of the contract supported by LEVI, with 1,800 installed in the next three years.
Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport and City Infrastructure said:
“Once again, Brighton & Hove is leading the way in providing our residents, visitors and businesses with the infrastructure needed for the growing number of electric vehicle users in the city. I look forward to seeing more new charge points in the coming weeks and months, helping us to provide clean, affordable and low-carbon transport for people in Brighton & Hove.”
char.gy has turned around its most recent local authority programmes at speed, including 500 on-street charge points installed ahead of schedule in Barnet to date, and is applying the same momentum to Brighton & Hove’s LEVI programme.
