All 236,000 Trafford residents will soon be within 10 minutes' journey time of an electrical vehicle charging point. This follows a move by the council to approve the installation of 24 ‘state-of-the-art’ EV chargers across the borough of Trafford this summer.
The move is designed to keep Trafford on track to hit its 2038 carbon-neutral target. It’s being rolled out in partnership with charging network Be.EV, which is funding the scheme, with a contribution of the profits made to Trafford council.
Most of the chargers will be rapid or ultra-rapid, which can charge a typical EV to 80 per cent in 20 minutes to an hour. Four of the charging hubs are already switched on and ready for use, with Balmoral Road, James Street, Regent Road and Trafford town hall all leading the charge.
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Trafford council began working with Be.EV in 2022 to devise an EV charging strategy that would support the needs of the entire community. Since then, 41 chargers have been installed across the region serving 81 parking bays, with a further 46 chargers in the planning stage.
With its own fleet of 17 electric vehicles, which are used in services such as highways maintenance, estate management and ground maintenance, the council wants to encourage more of the public to join the EV movement. Be.EV’s public charging network is the largest across the North West with a rapidly expanding national footprint. The network boasts an impressive operational availability rate of 99.6pc.
The council will retain ownership of the sites, and the chargers will be installed and maintained by Be.EV with residents benefiting not only from charging but also rental income from the sites. Be.EV is Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM’s ) preferred charging partner, and drivers will already be familiar with their chargers located around the city.
Trafford council leader Tom Ross said: “This expansion is a key element in our commitment to tackling climate change, as we aim for Trafford to be carbon neutral by 2038.
"We’re determined to break down the barriers to people going electric and make it possible for anyone in our communities to move away from petrol and the pollution it causes.
"This latest rollout of rapid charging points aims to help anyone who has been stopped from swapping to electric because they couldn’t charge at home.
"Alongside our active travel plans, it will positively impact on Trafford’s air quality while helping to keep our residents healthy.”
Asif Ghafoor, chief executive of Be.EV, said: “Thanks to progressive local authorities such as Trafford Council, Manchester is leading the North West’s EV transition. Trafford has been a fantastic partner and they’re playing a vital role in supporting the early uptake of electric vehicles.
“Our ongoing partnership with Trafford will see our reliable network of charging hubs continue to expand, and other councils should be taking note. Without this type of commitment from local authorities, we’ll never see a successful transition to electric vehicles.”
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