Description of the scheme
This project has seen 52 on-street electric vehicle charging points installed for public use in Wirral.
Locations for these charging points were decided based on a survey completed by residents.
This project follows a successful pilot, where charging points were free for the first 12 months.
| Road name | Number of charging points |
|---|---|
| Ackers Road, Woodchurch | 3 |
| Atherton Street, Wallasey | 5 |
| Carrington Road, Wallasey | 4 |
| Chapel Road, Hoylake | 1 |
| Cressingham Road, Wallasey | 3 |
| Elm Road, Prenton | 2 |
| Elm Grove, Hoylake | 1 |
| Ganneys Meadow, Woodchurch | 4 |
| Walby Close, Woodchurch | 2 |
| Palatine Road, Bromborough | 6 |
| Rostherne Avenue, Wallasey | 4 |
| Sandringham Avenue, Hoylake | 4 |
| The Kings Gap | 3 |
| Waverley Road, Hoylake | 2 |
| Sandringham Close, Hoylake | 1 |
| Alexandra Road, New Brighton | 1 |
| The Summit, Liscard | 3 |
| Edgehill Road, Moreton | 1 |
| Park Road North, Birkenhead | 2 |
The findings of the pilot scheme will be used to inform an Electric Vehicle Charging Point strategy, which will look at the potential for extending this type of installation into other locations, any changes necessary to existing schemes, as well the most appropriate tariff to set for their usage.
Benefits of the scheme
This scheme will enable the council to provide a network suitable for a greener future.
The project aims to increase electric vehicle use in Wirral and therefore reduce carbon emissions from the borough.
This will help residents to support Wirral’s climate strategy, Cool 2, which sets an ambitious goal of shifting to fossil fuel free local travel by around 2030.
How the scheme will be funded
The scheme to install the charge points was funded by a £77,000 grant from OZEV (Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles), formerly known as OLEV, and £26,000 from Wirral Council.
Timescales
Work for the project started in July 2021 and the charging points were installed by the end of September 2021. Charging points were then available to use from October 2021.
Whilst during the pilot the charging points were free, the success of the pilot means that from 5 December 2022, a charge will be introduced. The cost initially will be set at 38p/kWh, but may be subject to change.
How to use the charging points
The charge points are registered on an app. You can view charge points, where they are and whether they are in use, or not, on the app, as well as pay for your vehicle charging.
More information about the app and how to use it and the electric vehicle charging points can be found on the City EV website.
There is also a ‘traffic light’ system on the front of the charging point, to guide you through the process:
- The top button is a system check and should be steady green. This means that the charging point is ready to use. If it is red, there is a fault that must be reported.
- Once plugged in, press the middle button ‘stop/start’ to start charging.
- The bottom button tells you your charge status. Once your charge is complete, press the middle button ‘stop/start’ again and unplug your vehicle from the charging point.
Do you need to pay to park when using these chargers even if electricity is free?
The charge points are located on residential streets where there are usually no parking charges. Existing parking restrictions on any roads, where the charging points have been installed, still apply and should be followed.
How long will it take to charge my car using these charging points?
All cars will vary due to the size of the battery and the model of the car. The charging points have been installed in locations where we suspect residents will be using them to charge their electric vehicles overnight so the chargers are therefore slow chargers. The chargers have, however, been increased from the initial 2kW to 3.5kW following requests from residents.
How to report a problem
You can report a problem with an electric vehicle charging point using the streetlight form.
Report a problem with a charging point
I am a resident where one of the chargers has been installed, why wasn’t I told about it?
The charging points are located on streetlight columns. The locations for the charging points were selected from suggestions in a survey that was open to all Wirral residents. The households that took part in the original survey were contacted to see if they were still interested in having the electric vehicle charging point.
Will non-electric cars be penalised for parking in front of the chargers?
The council are not looking to enforce parking next to the columns where the charge points are located. No formal bays will be marked out for the use of these charging points.
In most cases, more than one charge point has been installed in the selected streets to try and reduce the charge points being blocked by cars not charging. Other local authorities have used this approach for electric vehicle chargers installed on street light columns.
Any future plans for more EV charging in Wirral?
Any future electric vehicle charging schemes will be based on the council’s Electric Vehicles Charging Point strategy, which is currently being developed, and subject to available funding.
The findings of this successful pilot scheme will be used to inform this strategy, which will look at the potential for extending this type of installation into other locations as well the most appropriate tariff to set for their usage.