UK’s ‘first fully open’ charge network opens in Suffolk

Electric vehicle (EV) charging manufacturer EO Charging has announced it has partnered with London-based renewable energy supplier Bulb and Suffolk County Council to launch the “first fully open” public charging network.

“Plug in Suffolk” is a pilot project to “simplify the procedure of charging an electric car” with the aim of making the county zero emission vehicle ready.

Under the partnership EV drivers will be able to pay for their charge with contactless payment and without the need to register with networks.

Businesses that become a part of the network, which EO says will be available to all EV drivers, will be able to switch to Bulb.

Urban Jungle Plant Nursery in Beccles will offer two 7kW EO chargers alongside a EO pay kiosk.

It was unveiled on 6 February as the first charging location of the project, and the two charge points are the first of 400 such sockets across the county.

Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino, head of Bulb Labs, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with EO Charging and Suffolk County Council to bring convenient EV charging to the people of Suffolk.

“We’re on a mission to make the UK the greenest country on earth and are working to support the widespread adoption of electric vehicles in the UK.

“Plug in Suffolk represents a significant step on the way towards building the infrastructure we need to make that happen.”

Charlie Jardine, founder and chief executive of EO Charging, said Suffolk’s current charging infrastructure is “not fit for purpose” if the county were to see the mass adoption of EVs.

Jardine added: “The Plug in Suffolk network will play a vital role in increasing the density of publicly available fast EV chargers and will ensure that driving electric in Suffolk is hassle-free.

“We want to support Suffolk County Council’s ambition of creating the greenest county and firmly believe that implementing this network is an important piece of the puzzle.”

Councillor Richard Rout, cabinet member for environment and public protection at Suffolk County Council, said: “We’re working to reduce the barriers that drivers face when thinking about switching to EVs here in Suffolk.

“Given their technical and local expertise, it is exciting to launch this initiative alongside Stowmarket-based EO Charging.”

EO Charging is currently in discussion with a number of other counties and local authorities across the UK to launch similar projects to support the growing popularity for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.