An electric vehicle charging provider has launched in Northumberland creating 12 new engineering jobs.
Sleekburn-based UK EV Power Connections will offer clients the ability to design systems directly to the electricity network - a break from previous setups where charging points would need a connection to a 'distribution network operator' (DNO), which incurs costs. The firm says it is the first of its type to offer this service that will allow clients to make savings.
It will also offer feasibility studies to identify the best locations for charging stations. Bill Robertson, managing director at UK EV Power Connections, said: “This new market offering enables companies and local authorities to achieve a design scheme direct to the electricity network without the significant costs previously known in the industry.
Read more: Britishvolt says gigafactory is progressing despite claims construction work has stopped
"Not only this, but our feasibility studies – offered as part of the overall proposal – will guide clients on where to, cost effectively, site their electric charging stations. Whilst the location of a site might seem obvious and considered, the industry knows that this isn’t always the case and – very often – the installation of electric vehicle charging schemes start, and are too far advanced, before it becomes obvious the site is not ideal or is more costly than originally forecast.
"Our feasibility studies eliminate all of this with a detailed assessment delivered prior to any work starting and where the most optimized and cost-effective location is pinpointed within the geographical area specified and with 100% accuracy. In some cases, we have seen this save clients up to £60,000 on site costs alone."
The business has already completed 15 installations for local authorities across the UK, including the North East Combined Authority and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. UK EV says it is also in talks with a number of other interested parties in the rail and public sectors.
Over the next year, the firm plans to recruit 12 people including apprentices who will join its existing team of former DNO design engineers who have experience in electricity network design and the infrastructure requirements for establishing electric vehicle charger connections to high and low voltage networks.
In March, the Department for Transport pledged to increase the number of public chargers in the UK to 300,000 by 2030, supported by £1.6bn of funding. And from June this year, all new homes must have electric vehicle charging points installed.
READ NEXT:
