Rugby League legend launches new EV charging points in Warrington

Top scorer for England and Widnes, Offiah has in recent years become an ambassador for Connected Kerb, a leading provider of EV charging stations all over the country.

The brand signed a contract with Warrington Borough Council and have installed 30 on-street charging points in five separate locations around the town with the goal of making EV charging easily accessible to the community.

Offiah spoke of his early involvement in the project explaining how he was an ‘early adopter of EV’s’ and became a brand ambassador back in 2018.

“I have been driving EV’s since 2017. I became passionate about them and about sustainability and about the climate.

“The electric vehicle journey is the way to go forward.”

One main goal for Connected Kerb is to make charging electric vehicles more convenient for residents without access to off-street parking and the ability to charge their vehicle at home.

“At Connected Kerb we are trying to help the country make that transition to EV so we can reach climate goals of net zero,” he added.

Back in 2019, the UK pledged a legal duty to reach net zero emissions by 2050, with companies like Connected Kerb acting as a driving force in working towards this goal.

The charging points are for slow charging over several hours and are therefore cheaper and have a low impact on the power grid overall.

Charging stations have been installed on Bewsey Street, Gladstone Street, Lexden Street, Manchester Road and White Street.

WBC’s cabinet member for highways, transportation and public realm, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “Through our Local Transport Plan, we've committed to building sustainable transport into daily life in Warrington.

“That’s why it’s vital that we support more residents to make the switch away from traditional petrol or diesel-powered cars.

“I’m delighted that this fantastic network of new EV charging points, in the heart of our communities, has now been launched.”

It was announced in 2020 by the Government that the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will end by 2030 and all new cars and vans beyond that point will then be zero emission by the end of 2035.

In line with this, back in May last year it was revealed that sales of new plug-in vehicles have nationally risen by over 70%, with more than a quarter of a million EV’s now on British tarmac.

Cabinet member for sustainability and climate change, Cllr Janet Henshaw commented on the launch of the charging points, saying: “Making changes to the way we travel is one of the most impactful things we can do to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and tackle the climate emergency.

Connected Kerb launches their first set of off-road electric vehicle charging points this week in Warrington (Image: Warrington Borough Council)

“These new EV charging points are the latest example of the work we are doing to make electric vehicle ownership a more realistic proposition for local residents, and another step forward in ensuring we are prepared for the move from petrol or diesel to electric vehicles by 2030.”

Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb spoke of his ‘delight’ at being able to assist in bringing affordable and accessible charging points to Warrington.

“We are committed to ensuring that nobody is left behind in the EV transition, particularly in northern towns and cities, as we work to ensure that the UK is ready for when the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles comes into force in 2030.”