- The £343 million UK government Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund has seen the first public charging point funded through the scheme go live.
- In partnership with Brighton & Hove City Council, the first LEVI-funded charger has been put into place by char.gy, with another 10 chargers set to be installed across the area before a wider rollout later this year.
- With the LEVI fund specifically targeting infrastructure that supports drivers without access to off-street parking (and private charging), this first charger marks the start of a journey that could encourage even more drivers to make the switch to electric.
LEVI-funded EV charger goes live
This first charger, installed at 28 Lawrence Road in Hove, also serves as a proof of concept to the rest of the industry of just how fast government funding can translate to real chargers on the street, accessible to the public. In this case, the timeline from contract signature to the charge point going live was less than two months, highlighting an impressive rollout speed.
This first charge point exists as part of a larger partnership between char.gy and Brighton & Hove City Council, with the two set to bring over 6,000 on-street chargers to the area, with over 1,800 of those coming in the next three years. This project is being supported by the LEVI fund. char.gy is also progressing with on-street charging projects in other parts of the country, such as North London’s Barnet Council.
John Lewis, CEO of char.gy, commented:
“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.”
Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zapmap, added:
“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.”
