Free public EV charging in Oxford for World EV Day
To celebrate World EV Day, free EV charging at Council faciltated public chargers will be offered for 24 hours in Oxford.
Out of respect for the passing of Her Majesty The Queen, World EV Day was postponed. However free EV charging was still provided on 9 September.
To celebrate World EV Day and the continued roll-out of EV charging in the city, Oxford City Council are partnering with charge point operators EB Charging, RAW Charging, and ubitricity to offer free public EV charging for 24 hours on 9 September.
World EV Day is an annual event that highlights the progress in e-mobility, and promotes the shift to electrified transport.
The offer will be available at all Council facilitated public charging stations, apart from Redbridge Park & Ride, which is temporarily offline during planned maintenance work. The site is expecting to be operating again as normal by the end of 9 September.
You can find your local, free charging point for 9 September on ZapMap.
EV Charging in Oxford
In July, Oxford City Council approved the Oxford EV Infrastructure Strategy to deliver fair and equitable EV charging for all who live, work and visit Oxford and to help meet the City’s aim of being a Net Zero City by 2040.
In 2022, the Council delivered 42 new charging points at the Energy Superhub Oxford located at the Redbridge Park & Ride as well as a number of rapid and fast chargers around the City, such as Headington car park and Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre.
EV ownership in Oxford
Approximately 4% of vehicles in Oxford are now EVs. Projections estimate this will need to increase to 24% of all vehicles by 2026.
According to Zap Map, 2021 saw the biggest annual increase in number of UK registrations, with more than 395,000 EVs registered, showing a growth of 92% on 2020.
This sharp rise in EVs has seen the formation of a growing second-hand market. The AA reports that sales of used EVs increased by 119.1% to 40,228 last year compared with 2020.
Thinking about buying an EV?
Oxford City Council, together with Oxfordshire County Council, neighbouring districts and Oxford Local Enterprise Partnership (OXLEP), have created the Climate Action Oxfordshire website. The website contains lots of information about choosing an EV as well as information about other climate action steps.
For residents wanting to try an EV, there are now plenty of car showrooms who will offer a test drive. Oxford residents can also rent electric car club vehicles in many areas of the City. Co-wheels is a project partner with Oxford City Council under the Go Ultra Low project.
Councillor Louise Upton, cabinet member for health and transport, Oxford City Council, said:
“On World EV Day, we celebrate those making the switch to go electric. This year we are marking the day by offering electric vehicle drivers free charging across our city. If you are considering moving to an electric vehicle, I encourage you to explore the Climate Action Oxfordshire website for more information.”