Over 150 new electric vehicle charging spaces to be installed on campus

A massive expansion in electric vehicle (EV) charging spaces by investor-operator firm Zest is set to go ahead on campus, it has been announced.

173 new EV charging points will be installed by the company across the University’s car parks, in a project aiming to build what would be one of the UK’s largest university campus charging facilities.

The government-backed B Corp provides EV charging solutions for landowners across the country. The company will provide and operate the new charging units at no cost to the University, investing £1.3m over 15 years.

B Corp certifications, awarded by non-profit organisation B Lab, are given to companies that “meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.”

The campus rollout, alongside other changes to existing charging units, will increase the number of EV charging spaces on campus from 65 to 230, which it is hoped will encourage more campus motorists to switch to electric vehicles.

Projections have suggested that the new facilities could save over 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to 69 million miles driven by petrol car.

With charging spaces in the hundreds, drivers on campus will be reassured that […] EV is a sustainable, desirable, and convenient option

Parvez Islam, Director of Environmental Sustainability, University of Warwick

Encouraging EV transport is the latest project undertaken by the University, as it works to achieve its goal of net zero emissions by 2030.

Other notable initiatives include a recent collaboration with SSE Energy Solutions to explore the potential use of geothermal energy on campus, as well as a sustainable workwear initiative that recently celebrated its one year anniversary.

Parvez Islam, Director of Environmental Sustainability at the University, said that working with Zest allowed Warwick to “match [its] strong commitment to sustainability with real action.

“With charging spaces in the hundreds, drivers on campus will be reassured that switching to EV is a sustainable, desirable and convenient option.”

The expansion of EV infrastructure also aligns with government-imposed targets for motorists – by 2035, all new cars sold in the UK must be zero-emission vehicles.

Previous Zest investments include providing charging units at a Doncaster shopping centre, as well as for the council area of Hackney, in London.

The firm is supported by the British Government’s Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund, with ties to private equity firm Zouk Capital.