Village welcomes solar-powered EV hub

A Warwickshire village will soon have its own public electric vehicle (EV) charging facility, after a long-fought campaign by a local community energy group.

The unit, to be built in Harbury village car park, is within a 10 minute walk of most homes in the village and will offer six fast 22kW charging points and two rapid motorway service station-style 50kW chargers.

The facility will partly be powered by solar panels on the rooftop of the village hall extension.

Harbury Future Energy (HFE) developed the design for the renewables hub, with director Bob Sherman saying the idea came from the announced phasing out of the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.

Sherman also said it was due to the low likelihood of commercial operators installing public EV charging points in rural areas.

Paul Quinney, chair of Harbury Future Energy, said the intention for the facility was to be "scalable for people who have grid challenges in rural communities to have the facilities we're talking about."

"There could be lots of communities that could see that as a benefit," he said

With campaigning beginning in 2019, the bid was approved by Warwickshire County Council in 2022, who said they would use Harbury as a pilot to test the concept and deliverability of rural EV charging hubs.

However, the project has taken years to come to fruition, facing challenges around funding rules, and no contractor coming forward when the work was first put out to tender.

Sherman said: "We have a very professional project, but it takes so long, it's frustrating."

A government grant from the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure pilot covers 75% of installation costs, and the successful contractor covers the rest.

Funding for future projects may come from the Great British Energy Community Fund, administered by Midlands Net Zero Hub.

Once the project is under way, Quinney and Sherman hope it is a first step on the ladder for more ambitious community energy schemes.

Sir Jeremy Wright, MP for Kenilworth and Southam, said: "Harbury Future Energy is exactly the kind of practical, community-led project we need to see more of.

"It shows how local people can come together to deliver cleaner, more resilient energy while also bringing real benefits to their area.

"Expanding access to public EV charging in rural communities is an important part of that picture, ensuring the move to low-carbon transport works for everyone, not just those in towns and cities."

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