Thurrock Council is going live with thousands of EV charge points on local streets to help residents go electric.

The council has signed up Zest, one of the UK’s fastest-growing investor-operators of public EV charging infrastructure, in a new long-term contract to deliver up to 4,046 public electric vehicle charge points.

Supported by the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, the partnership unlocks significant private investment from Zest, who will fund around 98% of the project. The programme will deliver a borough-wide charging network designed to make switching to EV convenient for residents across Thurrock, particularly households without access to off-street parking.

The programme will deploy a mix of lamp-post chargers, along with fast AC and rapid DC charging points, ensuring residents can access reliable charging close to where they live, work and visit. Locations will be prioritised to support on-street households and areas currently underserved by public charging.

Expanding the borough’s EV charging network, part of the council’s ambitious transport strategy, will support both local communities and the wider regional economy as electric vehicle adoption accelerates.

Under the agreement, Zest will provide and operate the network over a 15-year period, creating a long-term, resilient infrastructure platform capable of expanding as demand grows.

Around 35 existing charge points installed through the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) will also be transferred onto the Zest network, improving reliability and user experience for drivers already using the sites.

New sites will be selected to maximise accessibility and convenience for residents.

Robin Heap, CEO of Zest, said: “Thurrock is taking a proactive approach to building the resilient infrastructure needed for the transition to electric vehicles. By combining targeted public funding with long-term private investment, this partnership will deliver a reliable and equitable charging network that supports communities across the borough.

“Zest now works with more than 30 public sector partners across the UK, and we are proud to support Thurrock in delivering infrastructure that will serve residents for years to come.”