Sunderland to roll out more than a dozen on-street EV charging hubs

FIFTEEN more on-street charging hubs for Electric Vehicles (EVs) are being readied for a switch-on by Sunderland City Council.

The on-street hubs will each have up to six charging points. They are part of a national scheme and build on work led by the City Council helping to make it more convenient for EV owners to charge up where off-street parking is limited, such as in terraced streets. This has been funded with nearly £1m from the Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles and from the charge-point operator.

Five other similar hubs in Gilley Law, Grangetown, Hetton Downs, Roker and Southwick went live in 2023 as part of a pilot scheme. They have proved popular with EV owners and will be joined by the 15 new hubs which include streets in Shiney Row, Ryhope, Town End Farm and Sulgrave in Washington.

Coun Lindsey Leonard, the City Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and Net Zero, said: “The aim and goal is a very straightforward one – by providing reliable charging infrastructure in neighbourhoods, we’re supporting residents who want to make the switch to EV.

“It’s about removing barriers to charging for EV owners who might not have their own private parking space for charging. They might be in an older terrace, a flat, or an apartment where EV charging could be challenging. By having on-street hubs we help make it more convenient and it all offers more choice for EV owners.

“We’re already recognised as a world-leading centre for EV production with Nissan, battery manufacturing, and the wider supply chain providing valuable employment across the city and region. “Now, with these grants from regional and national government, we’re helping to ensure our city continues to lead the way in sustainable transport infrastructure.”

Alongside the hubs, the council has installed more than 35 cross-pavement EV charging channels. These support residents who do not have access to a driveway by helping them charge at home on residential electricity tariffs.

Residents interested in pavement channels for charging are required to make a one-off contribution of £350 towards installation costs. Residents can register their interest by emailing details to evcharging@sunderland.gov.uk

The schemes are part of wider local and national support programmes for expanding EV infrastructure.