Oldham driving forward with electric vehicle charger expansion

The new rapid charger on the Civic Centre car park

Oldham Council is taking another step forward in improvements to green transport with the installation of a new ‘rapid’ electric vehicle (EV) charging point in the town centre.

The new rapid charger on the Civic Centre car park, next to the entrance off New Radcliffe Street, is one of 25 being installed across the region on the Be.EV charging point network, owned by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and maintained by support services supplier Amey.

Using a rapid charger is one of the quickest ways to charge an EV – recharging up to 80% in as little as 20 minutes.

This makes them ideal for short top-up charges, particularly useful for people on a tight schedule.

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Culture, said: “Supporting and encouraging our residents and businesses to switch to electric vehicles is one of the many ways we’re tackling air pollution and working towards our ambition for Oldham Council and Greater Manchester to be carbon neutral by 2038.

“It’s vitally important that we help people choose clean and sustainable transport options and the new and upgraded chargers will hopefully give more people the confidence to embrace this technology.

"Not only does owning an electric vehicle have clear environmental benefits, but drivers have the added incentive of lower vehicle running costs."

Installing 25 new rapid chargers is the first step in Greater Manchester’s plans to expand the Be.EV network.

Ultimately the region’s 10 local councils and TfGM aim to more than double the network’s size.

The rapid charger project is financed with £3 million from the government’s Clean Air Plan ‘Early Measures’ funding, which is designed to help areas like Greater Manchester with initiatives to meet legal nitrogen dioxide air pollution targets in the shortest time possible.

For further information on the Be.EV network, visit: Be-EV.co.uk

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