Southend-on-Sea City Council has unveiled a partnership with Zest to install more than 3,000 public chargers across the city.
The arrangement will provide residents, businesses and visitors with more readily available electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities. Although, the announcement of this new partnership was made a week before the Government’s recent budget revelations which include a 3-pence-per-mile tax on EVs from 2028 onwards.
The new EV facilities will include lamp post, fast and rapid chargers; thereby suiting the differing needs of EV drivers.
Councillor Daniel Cowan, leader of Southend-on-Sea City Council said: “This is a big moment for Southend. By bringing thousands of new EV charging spaces to our streets, we’re making it easier for people to choose cleaner, greener ways to travel.
“This project is about giving everyone the tools to be part of a sustainable future. We’re proud to work with Zest to deliver real change for our communities.”
The project is ‘one of the largest local EV charging schemes in the UK’ and is benefitting from £1.4 million of support from the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund. Zest is also providing significant investment, with no costs to be incurred by the Council.
Robin Heap, chief executive of Zest, said: “Southend is setting a benchmark for how cities can lead the transition to cleaner transport with their ambitious EV infrastructure deployment plans. The partnership is designed to make EV ownership practical for everyone, especially communities without off-street parking.
“Such a significant long-term investment requirement reflects true ambition and leadership, ensuring Southend has the infrastructure it needs for an electric future while creating a blueprint for others to follow.”
The Southend-on-Sea EV project will commence in early 2026.
Image: Southend-on-Sea City Council.
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