38 new electric vehicle charge points for Bradford

Council worked with Blink Charging to design and install new chargers in 14 locations across the district. 

The expansion of Bradford’s existing infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) has been made possible through grant funding from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), via its on-street residential charge point scheme, as well as some funding from the council.

Bradford Council is keen to encourage wider use of electric cars to achieve its aim of reducing air pollution and CO2 emissions produced by road transport. A Clean Air Zone was also introduced in Bradford last September. 

Noise pollution is also greatly reduced as EVs are quieter to run. 

All but one of the 14 sites now has two or three Alfen fast chargers (for practical reasons, Cottingley car park has one charger). The new chargers can be accessed using the Blink-EB Go! App, with electricity costing 39p/kWh.  

Bradford’s existing infrastructure includes 22 GeniePoint 50kW rapid charging points, part of a network of more than 100 installed across West Yorkshire as part of a collaboration between West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield councils, and GeniePoint (Equans).  

Each of these GeniePoint charging points has a bay for exclusive use by for taxis and private hire vehicles, with a second bay for use by the public. 

What’s more, newly formed industry association ChargeUK has announced £6bn for the UK’s EV charging infrastructure. 

Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, says: ‘These new charge points are a welcome addition to our EV charging network, which now means charge points at an additional 14 locations across our district. 

‘If we want people to switch to electric cars, it is vital that we make charging as accessible as possible, particular for those where installing a charge point at home is not possible, either due to cost of the lack of off-street parking.’ 

Alex Calnan, Managing Director Blink Charging UK, adds: ‘This substantial further investment in the region’s EV charging network demonstrates the council’s impressive ambition to deliver better living conditions for local people, businesses and visitors alike. 

‘We feel honoured to have been chosen to support the council in this important work and excited by the contribution the charging network will make to the air quality and health of communities throughout the area.’ 

In related news, a survey of 2,000 motorists conducted by Peugeot UK recently found that more than a third of UK drivers have poor knowledge of electric vehicles.

Photograph courtesy of Blink Charging