This guide sets out common issues and suggested best practice for installing chargepoints for a Local Authority, covering key issues to consider and which departments in Local Authority need to be involved in the works, depending on the type of project. Often, there are different solutions depending on how the LA is set up, but the purpose of this guide is to target areas which have been identified as common challenges across all Local Authorities we spoke to as part of REVUP.
Best Practice Guide for Local Authorities when installing EV Chargepoints 2022
Durham County Council, working with Transport North East and Cybermoor (www,cybermoor,org), were awarded funding from Innovate UK to research how Local Authorities in the North East region can accelerate the roll out of Electric Vehicle Charge Points (EVCPs). The project which was named the 'Regional Electric Vehicle Unified Plan' or REVUP, aimed to gather lessons learned from Authorities around the North East and beyond, and has developed this Best Practice Guide based on the project's findings.
The purpose of the toolkit is to support Local Authorities to facilitate the installation of Electric Vehicle Charge Points (EVCPs), especially in remote and underserved communities and to avoid the creation of a so-called 'Charge-Point Divide'.
The principle aims of REVUP were to learn and share best practice and to develop a process to enable regional LAs and other public sector bodies (e.g. emergency services) to collaborate on applications to the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and apply for funding to install hundreds/thousands of EVCPs, necessary to deliver proper regional coverage. During the process of working on REVUP and meeting with other Local Authorities, it became clear that there were many experiences worth sharing Local Authorities around the whole EVCP installation process — from of the initial idea to right through to commissioning.
REVUP and the shared experiences will help deliver a common standard for the identification, costing and installation of EVCPs. The overarching aim is 'to change the current tortuous process, into one which is as simple as the installation of a new streetlight'.
Purpose of Guide
This guide sets out common issues and suggested best practice for installing chargepoints for a Local Authority, covering key issues to consider and which departments in Local Authority need to be involved in the works, depending on the type of project. Often, there are different solutions depending on how the LA is set up, but the purpose of this guide is to target areas which have been identified as common challenges across all Local Authorities we spoke to as part of REVUP.
The aim of the guide is to simplify the process as much as possible, particularly for Local Authority officers. This guide was informed by 85 meetings with local and combined Authorities, the private sector, and the voluntary sector. Specifically relevant to this guide, was the individual meetings with all of the Local Authorities in the North East in both the North and South of the Tyne Combined Authorities that comprise the 'Joint Transport Committee' (JTC).
One of the aims of the REVUP project was to lay a foundation for an innovative but simpler model for chargepoint delivery, one based upon the STEP model (Section 9). This best practice guide and the investigation of innovative ideas such as STEP, could enable the North East region to set up a network of well-located and accessible chargepoints, and help to decarbonise roads so that Councils can move closer to fulfilling their promises of being NetZero by 2050.
The REVUP best practice guide focuses on 9 key issues, that officers at Local Authorities need to be mindful of when planning new EVCPs. Each issue has a chapter in this best Practice guide that reflects some of the key learnings of the REVUP project.
They are:
Designed to aid Local Authorities in developing robust, evidence-based plans to enable Net Zero.
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