Stockport welcomes the first of 20 new charging hubs

Stockport Council and electric vehicle charging network Be.EV have launched the first of 20 EV charging hubs as part of an ongoing £15 million deal to improve electric transport infrastructure in the borough.

The Romiley hub has been equipped with four charging bays – two ultra-rapid, one rapid and one fast. The hub’s ultra-rapid chargers will be able to add around 125 miles of range in a short 15-minute stop.

In some cases the work will build upon existing Be.EV chargers to create more capacity and faster charging but in all cases it will be ‘future-proofed’ to allow for further expansion depending on usage.

Anyone will be able to use the chargers but Be.EV members – who received 24 hours of free charging at the new site – will be able to access a discounted rate. The council will retain ownership of the sites but the chargers will be installed and managed by Be.EV.

It will cost around £8m to install the 54 rapid and ultra rapid chargers with the ongoing operational costs of £7million over next 10 years.

Romiley is located 10 minutes from the M60 – which sees an average of over 83,000 vehicles a day. Stockport has close to 2,700 registered electric vehicles, drivers of which will be able to charge their car whilst commuting or visiting the nearby retailers.

Cllr Mark Roberts, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: ‘It is fantastic to see the first charging point in operation following the agreement signed in 2023. The whole of Stockport, including the council, residents and businesses, must make big changes to reduce our emissions now so that we stop contributing to climate change and providing this new infrastructure will help us on that challenging journey.

‘Installing more electric vehicle chargers is a key element for the council with regards to its commitment to taking action on climate change as we aim for Stockport to be carbon neutral by 2038’