Be.EV to expand EV charging infrastructure in Bury

Bury Council has appointed electric vehicle (EV) charging network Be.EV to install more than 30 new EV charging points across its land.

The deal is worth upwards of £9m – fully funded by Be.EV.

There are currently 26 publicly available charging points across Bury, and the council wants to double this number over the next two years to boost the borough’s rapid charging provision and keep up with demand. 

The new arrangement with Be.EV will mean improved access to charging across the community, with the chargers spread across over 20 public sites. Be.EV is Transport for Greater Manchester’s preferred charging partner.

Bury’s new infrastructure will be part of the Be.EV public charging network. Most of the chargers will be rapid or ultra-rapid, which can charge a typical EV to 80% in 20 minutes to an hour, compared to 4-6 hours on a 7kW fast charger. The new points will be primarily in convenient and easily accessible destination areas such as town centre car parks.  

Councillor Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, climate change and operations, said: “The council is committed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2038. Transport emissions make up a significant amount of our greenhouse gas emissions, therefore we need to make the transition to cleaner transport. 

“Electric vehicles can form part of this new picture. But, to help residents who want to make this switch, we need to increase the charging infrastructure so they feel confident they can recharge their vehicles easily. 

“This is a concessionary contract, so all up-front installation and operating costs are being undertaken by Be.EV, and we will also receive a rental income. We will be working to get the chargers in the ground as soon as possible, certainly later this year.”