The ‘Source West’ EV charging point network is being upgraded including the addition of more chargepoints under a move intended to help advance ULEV take-up in the region.

The network is getting 120 new points next year with more to follow

Bristol City Council, along with local authorities for Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset, has been awarded £7.1m from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) for the upgrades as part of the Go Ultra Low West (GULW) programme, which will see at least 120 new chargepoint connections added across the four regions over the next year and more to follow.

The project will see Alfen, which has its UK base in Bristol, supply the chargepoints while Siemens will be responsible for installing and servicing them and ChargePoint Services will operate them.

The project was developed following a research project last year, where existing and prospective EV owners were asked how the network should be run, managed and supported in the future. The research found EV owners wanted more charge points, in enforceable spaces, with better reliability.

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “In order to meet ambitious environmental goals, shared across the region, we must help people transition to low carbon and clean transport options. Upgrading our charging network is part of the answer and this will help both existing and future EV drivers to charge their vehicles more easily. Ensuring we develop a resilient charging infrastructure will give more people the confidence they need to embrace this technology.”