EV charging operator char.gy has installed its 5,000th public charge point, with the milestone reached in Brighton & Hove as part of the city council's plan to deploy around 6,000 kerbside units, currently the largest on-street charging programme outside London.
The network uses existing street furniture such as lamp columns to install charge points at the kerbside, keeping disruption minimal. Around 40% of UK homes lack off-street parking, and char.gy's model is designed specifically to address the gap of residents without a driveway get a charger close to where they park rather than where they live.
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The Brighton rollout is part of a wider picture of rapid national deployment. In Barnet, 300 charge points went live in six weeks as part of a 500-unit rollout. Reading Borough Council has committed to around 2,600 units, with at least 90% of households without off-street parking set to be within 100 metres of a public charger. On the Isle of Wight, more than 1,500 new points are planned, extending kerbside charging beyond the mainland for the first time at a larger scale.
The entire network runs on renewable electricity supplied through char.gy's partnership with EDF, backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin certificates. John Lewis, CEO of char.gy, said the milestone represents thousands of households who can now seriously consider switching to electric. "On-street charging has moved from the margins to the mainstream, and it's becoming an essential part of how the UK gets to net zero."
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Raghav Singh, Business Supply Director at EDF, said access to convenient, renewable-powered charging would be "essential in supporting more drivers, particularly those without off-street parking" as EV demand grows.
Councils beyond the socially conscious early adopters of Brighton, Reading, the Isle of Wight are now getting on board, and the network is expected to expand substantially in the next two to three years. (TF)
