SOSCI (Scaling on Street Charging Infrastructure)
Durham County Council has won funding from Innovate UK to install a minimum of 100 Electric Vehicle (EV) charge points across the rural areas of County Durham over the next 15 months.
The ‘Scaling On Street Charging Infrastructure’ (SOSCI) project will support County Durham residents who can’t buy an electric vehicle because they don’t have off-street parking to charge it. Promoting the take-up of electric vehicles will help reduce air pollution and CO2 emissions as well as allowing people to save money on fuel costs.
The SOSCI project will focus on sites such as community centres which are not usually used for public parking at night, and that will allow residents without off-street parking to be within 5 minutes’ walk of a Charge Point.
If you’re interested in an EV charge point in your community area and have a suggested location, or if you need to report a fault, you can email: EVCharging@durham.gov.uk
WebMap: Check the current: Proposed Charge Point Locations
Drivers can use the charge points by downloading our Gronn Kontakt App from the Apple or Google Play store, or by visiting the website on their phone to start a charge here:
Website: https://gronnkontakt.co.uk/
Site Finder Map: https://driver.gronnkontakt.co.uk
DOCs – (Durham Own Charge Point Sites)
Durham County Council has been awarded 75% funding from OLEV to install a further 50 Electric Vehicle charge points across County Durham . The remaining 25% money is to be a combination of DCC funds and community funding, from parish councils and area action partnership groups yearly budgets.
The 50 sites will give parish councils an opportunity to invest in their areas, getting them a step ahead following the Government’s ban on the selling of new petrol, diesel cars in the UK from 2035. If the local community wishes to assist with the fund raising this can be managed as a social investment and has tax benefits for the investor and revenues can be shared with the community. These 50 EVCPs are in addition to the 100 being installed under the SOSCI Project installed and operating by 31 March 2021.
WEVA (Weardale Electric Vehicle Accelerator)
Durham County Council has secured funding from OLEV (Office of Low Emission Vehicles) to run a trial into ways to encourage the take up of electric vehicles (EVs) in rural communities. The project will seek to solve the conundrum of how to encourage people to switch to EVs if they have no charge points near their home and no off-street parking to install their own CP.
This is a national problem and the results of the WEVA (Weardale Electric Vehicle Accelerator) project will have a UK-wide focus. DCC is a partner in a complementary project which will install around 100 (Charge points) CPs across the county and surrounding areas. Project surveys have determined that people will consider walking a short distance to a CP if they do not have their own parking area. Ideally less than 5 minutes from their home. The new WEVA project will install enough charge points in the market town of Stanhope so that every house has a CP within a 5-minute walk.
To help people to seriously consider switching to an EV, the project will provide information sessions on EV ownership and use; as well as an EV car club to be based at the Weardale Hub and operated by Weardale Community Transport Ltd.
In addition, the project has support from Renault who are offering extra special deals for people within the project zone, who switch the electric motoring during the 3-year period of the project. This project forms another part of the County’s response to the Climate Change Emergency.
For further information contact: EVCharging@durham.gov.uk