EZ-Charge, the British electric car charging specialist, is preparing to ramp up production of its self-developed 22kWh charging unit after proposed government legislation made it the perfect off-the-shelf solution for local authorities across the UK.
The Bicester-based startup has seen a huge upsurge in enquiries following the announcement of the government’s new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy announced last month. The Strategy is to reach 300,000 public electric vehicle chargepoints by 2030. EZ-Charge now expects planned production to increase exponentially as a result.
This news follows last week’s announcement that EZ-Charge had signed a deal with Mobility Werk Group to help build Malaysia’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network.
EZ-Charge’s increase in production could create dozens of jobs at the brand’s Oxfordshire HQ and across the UK, with the plan to manufacture charging units with local partners to add social value and minimise environmental impact.
Heightened interest in EZ-Charge’s range of charging solutions, which include everything from home chargers to 50kWh rapids, is focused primarily on its advanced 22kWh unit.
It is believed to be the only 22kWh unit currently available that accepts contactless payment. In addition, it offers several features that ensure it complies with all legislation set out in the government strategy.
These include best-in-class CPMS (computer performance management system), open data technology, 99%+ uptime, a 24/7 helpline and roaming capability, which means all EZ-Charge units can be used by all drivers without any membership or registration.
Phil Shadbolt OBE, EZ-Charge CEO, said: “We were thrilled when the government announced its new strategy last week and even happier when we realised that the charger features demanded by the new legislation had been built into our chargers as ‘must-haves’ from the very beginning.
“However, we were not expecting the announcement to translate into actual interest from potential customers quite so quickly. We’ve literally been overwhelmed and we’ve had to go back to the drawing board to dramatically revise our production schedule upwards.”
“Our speciality as a brand is working with local authority partners to devise, install and manage off-street charging hubs in the hearts of communities where people work, live and play.
“It’s local authorities like this that will be keen to apply for the new government funding and our proven track record from leading projects like Oxfordshire Park & Charge makes us the ideal partner to support their bids.”
