EV charging company Mer has tackled legacy infrastructure problems and successfully scaled charging across Durham County Council.  

The two-year partnership has seen 150 EV charge points installed across the county, bringing charging infrastructure to many formerly unserved communities

The two-year partnership has seen 150 EV charge points installed across the county, bringing charging infrastructure to many formerly unserved communities.  

In 2019, less than 50% of Durham County Council’s EV infrastructure was functioning. Many EV charge points had stopped working and the companies that installed them were no longer trading. Rural communities were also lacking coverage because charging providers saw little potential for commercial return, while legislation was stopping on-street charging in towns.  

The new charge points form Mer have been installed at 67 locations across the county, targeting areas of residential demand based on public consultations.   

The work was supported by funding from Innovate UK for the Scaling on Street Charging Infrastructure (SOSCI) project and has seen the council awarded the 2022 Best EV Charging Project award from the Municipality Journal.  

Alex Hinchcliffe, sales director at Mer UK – public charging, commented: “Durham needed a future-fit solution to their problem, and that’s exactly what we helped deliver. Our parent company, Statkraft, is the largest renewable energy producer in Europe and our chargers are powered by 100% renewable energy. There’s also no risk of our charge points becoming redundant or falling into disrepair. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in Durham, combating the dual problems of rural and city coverage.”  

Due to the success of the project, Durham has now secured a second wave of EV charge point funding from Innovate UK, this time for the Regional Electric Vehicle Unified Plan (REV UP) project.   

The introduction of Mer charging stations in some villages, like Shotley Bridge in Consett, has allowed local not-for-profit EV car sharing clubs to expand their reach, bringing green, affordable options to smaller communities. The roll-out has been touted as best practice, and reports have been requested to help inform future government policy at the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). Durham County Council has also used its learnings to produce a guide for local authorities to install EV charge points.  

The latest announcement follows hot on the heels of Mer’s recent Dorset Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Blue Diamond and Allstar partnership announcements.