West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and delivery partner EQUANS have installed scores of charging points across the region, all using 100% renewable energy with free charging for two years.
The scheme was first launched in 2019 after WYCA secured £2m funding from the Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) to deliver charge points across Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.
A further £1.2m was provided in Local Transport Plan funding from WYCA and its district partners.
So far:
- over 2,603 tonnes of CO2 have been saved by drivers.
- 3.3 million kilowatt hours of green energy has been dispensed – enough to power a typical EV around the planet 467 times.
- the charging points have since provided more than 11 million free miles to drivers.
EQUANS also provided project investment and free charging at all charging points for the first two years as a further incentive for residents and business users. Under the financial agreement between EQUANS and district councils, the company pays the councils a proportion of the revenue that is generated from each charge point.
The scheme has seen more than 11 million free miles provided to drivers.
Under the contract, 93 charging points have been installed across West Yorkshire, exceeding the original agreement and up to chargers are expected to be delivered within the original budget for 88, due to efficiencies in delivery.
Cllr Kim Groves, West Yorkshire Transport Committee lead member for public transport, said: 'Here in West Yorkshire, we’re committed to becoming a net zero carbon economy by 2038 at the latest, and installing electric vehicle charging points is one of the ways we will deliver on that promise.
'We know one of the barriers to people making the switch to an electric car is knowing where they can charge their vehicles and I’m proud that our region has the highest number of rapid charging points outside of London.'
Dee Humphries, managing director of EV solutions at EQUANS UK & Ireland, said: 'Our partnership with WYCA has been successful in terms of CO2 savings and providing green energy for EV drivers across the region, helping to improve air quality for residents – something which is vital for all local authorities across the country looking to protect the health of their residents and work towards a carbon neutral future.'
EQUANS gave Transport Network the following briefing:
How did you choose where to put the chargers, what design and layout of on street charger did you choose and why?
To get the project off the ground, one of the first steps of the partnership involved extensive analysis of potential sites across the West Yorkshire District.
This was the first step in the decision-making process for where the chargers would be placed. Proportional distribution of the charge points across each locality was taken into consideration by WYCA and the councils.
This was to ensure that larger districts with a greater population such as Leeds had proportionally more charge points.
In the first stages of planning, a large volume of sites were proposed to maximise availability across the region. Once a site budget was agreed, the sites were then condensed based on the agreed budget and the strength of the location.
The sites were proposed and chosen based on various factors including personal security, local amenities, such as shopping facilities and public toilets, as well as road networks and overall accessibility. A focus was also placed on selecting sites that were owned by the council vs a private landowner, as this provided cost and time efficiencies from a legal perspective.
Following this process of site selection, the next stage involved the completion of a full assessment and consultation of each agreed location. This ensured that an accurate quote could be delivered, along with a bespoke design for each site. This further analysis meant that some sites were excluded for factors such as power availability and costs involved.
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