Milton Keynes has awarded Chargemaster a £2.3m contract to provide additional charging infrastructure.

Chargemaster will install two filling-station-style EV charging hubs, 50 public chargers and 200 on-street charging units under its £2.3m contract with Milton Keynes.

The contract, which follows a tender exercise, was issued after the town was named as one of the first Go Ultra Low cities in January and awarded £9m – part of a total £40m government funding that was shared out to promote electric vehicle take-up.

Funding will be used to create two filling-station-style EV charging hubs, both powered by Chargemaster’s Ultracharge units. The first will be situated near Junction 14 of the M1 motorway, with the second adjacent to Milton Keynes’ The Centre:MK central shopping centre.

In addition, 50 public chargers will be installed at sports facilities, hotels, restaurants and other locations where motorists may park their EVs for more than an hour.

The contract will also see up to 200 on-street charging units installed for motorists without access to off-street parking while Chargemaster will supply EV chargers to support 30 bays for electric car club vehicles.

Chargemaster also plans to install charging points in the proposed EV Experience Centre, which is due to be launched at The Centre:MK in 2017.

Brian Matthews, head of transport innovation at Milton Keynes, said: “We were delighted to be chosen to be a part of the Go Ultra Low Cities programme earlier this year. Chargemaster submitted a compelling and informative bid, which aligned with our goals. It could also demonstrate that the reliability of its network and the operational support it offers is second to none. We expect the first charging points to be rolled out in early 2017, making Milton Keynes an even better place to own an EV.”

David Martell, Chargemaster CEO, said: “We’re excited to be a part of Milton Keynes’ bright future as a Go Ultra Low City. The council has a vision to make the town a real showcase of what can be done to reduce emissions and increase air quality, for example. We are confident that our charging infrastructure proposal will help Milton Keynes realise these goals.”