About the project
We are increasing the number of electric vehicle charge points across the city. More residents are choosing to drive electric vehicles. This means we need more places for people to charge their car, especially if they do not have parking at home.
We are working with Zest, they are a national electric vehicle charge point company that receives Government investment through the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund. This work is funded by the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund and extra investment from Zest. This means the project does not cost residents anything.
What the project will deliver
The project will deliver:
- a mix of lamp post chargers, fast chargers and rapid chargers
- charging access in all parts of the city
- chargers that use renewable energy
- a reliable service with high uptime
- easy ways to pay, including contactless and the Zest app
Social value for the city
Zest will provide social and community benefits, including:
- jobs for local contractors and suppliers
- apprenticeships and work experience
- visits to schools and colleges
- support for activities such as tree planting and beach cleans
- investment in local businesses
Latest news and questions
We are now preparing the next steps for the new electric vehicle charge point network. The network will be reliable and simple to use.
The charge points will include:
- contactless payment
- customer support at all times of day
- Type 2 sockets that work with all electric vehicles
- clear lights that show charging status
- charging speeds of up to 50 kilowatts, depending on the site
We will share more updates on installation, site locations and community events on our electric vehicle charging page.
Do electric vehicles have enough range?
Most car journeys in the United Kingdom are about 8 miles. Only a few journeys are more than 100 miles. Most electric cars can travel between 150 miles and 300 miles on one charge. This is enough for daily travel and long trips.
Has this project cost residents anything?
No. The project does not cost residents anything. The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund pays for the work, along with investment from Zest.
Will the electricity grid cope?
Yes. If more people use electric cars, electricity demand will rise only a little. Network operators are already making upgrades and adding new technology to support this.
Is charging still environmentally friendly if some electricity comes from fossil fuels?
Yes. A large share of electricity in the United Kingdom now comes from renewable energy. The national aim is to move to low carbon electricity. Zest already uses renewable energy across its network.
Who are Zest?
Zest are a national electric vehicle charging company with Government support. They install and maintain charge points, support customers and run the network.
What types of chargers will be installed?
We will install lamp post chargers, fast chargers and rapid chargers. This means people in all neighbourhoods have suitable places to charge.
Contact us
You can email us at SouthendEVSolutions@southend.gov.uk for questions or general information about the electric vehicle charge point programme.
You can read more about electric vehicle charging on our electric vehicle charging webpage.
If you need help with a Zest charge point, you can visit the Zest help page or email customercare@zest.uk.com.