ARE you thinking of buying an electric vehicle (EV), but have nowhere to charge it near your home? Maybe you run a small business and would consider an electric van, but not until you know there are chargepoints throughout your area.

Then the SOSCI (Scaling On Street Charging Infrastructure) project is for you.

The SOSCI project brings innovative solutions to County Durham and Cumbria, though the installation of 200 EV charge points across the North of England.

This project is a direct follow-on from the study which was completed in the first quarter of 2019. The study identified some chargepoint sites across the area, and this new project will deliver the actual chargepoints.

The ultimate aim of the project is to reduce CO2 emissions in the UK by encouraging more people to purchase and/or to use electric vehicles.  Our project supports this aim by installing chargepoints in critical areas, which are being overlooked by commercial providers. Rural/remote areas and areas in which homes are without driveways and off-street parking, and where on-street charging is not feasible.

Our project will test new ways of funding chargepoints through community ownership and investment, based on the existing ‘Charge My Street’ model. 

The project is being delivered by a consortium of 11 partners with a wide range of skills, knowledge, and experience. Social enterprise companies, charities, private businesses, and local authorities, with specialisms ranging from EV infrastructure installation, to energy supplies, to software development, data analysis, finance, community engagement, and project management.

In Co Durham, the project is led by Durham County Council, supported by Vattenfall who will provide all of the technology and equipment. Vattenfall already operates 11,000 EV charge points across Europe.  This 18-month project will provide a basis from which to develop a strategy for local authorities to deliver EV charge points across their territories.

The project is being supported financially by Innovate UK which is a government body established to find and drive the science and technology innovations that will grow the UK economy.

Individuals and businesses can get involved with the project in two ways:

  • By identifying possible sites for the location of charge points
  • By becoming a Community Investor

You can register a possible chargepoint location through www.chargemystreet.co.uk by simply clicking on the ‘Survey’ tab and filling in your details, together with the location of your potential charge point site.  

On the same website you can register your interest in becoming a community investor in Charge My Street Ltd. This organisation is a Community Benefit Society and is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority and has been registered with the FCA since 2018.

If you are interested, but need to find out more information first, Durham County Council is the host for the first 2019 EV Road Show being organised by GreenFleet. This all-day event, which is being held in Market Place, Bishop Auckland, will provide more information and even allow you to test drive EVs. More details on http://evroadshow.co.uk/register.