The search for a company to run York’s public electric vehicle charging network has sparked a row.
City of York Council’s executive approved the tendering of a five-year contract for the maintenance and servicing of its infrastructure and to supply and install new charging points.
Cllr Kate Ravilious, the council’s Labour transport spokesperson, said the move would get good value tariffs for residents and visitors, making electric vehicles more affordable.
But Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Nigel Ayre said York’s charging infrastructure was an embarrassment with much of the network either defective, not working or not built.
The decision comes after current provider BP Pulse said they were pulling out of their contract to run the network four years early.
It ran the network which includes chargers in council car parks and HyperHubs at the Monks Cross and Poppleton Bar Park & Ride sites.
The company said they were unable to meet their contractual obligations on tariff setting and they would not install any new chargers from this year.
York’s electric vehicle charging tariffs are set yearly, with prices determined based on the amount of money needed to cover the cost of running the network.
A council report stated there were no hidden or additional fees, with separate tariffs charged for standard and rapid charging.
Tuesday’s meeting heard the five-year contract set to be tendered would potentially be able to be extended for a further three years.
The executive heard the move aimed to make it more appealing to potential operators and provided better value for money.
Supporting other projects while supplying and installing electric vehicle chargers could bring the value of the contract up to £5 million over eight years, council officials have estimated.
The council’s report stated a new longer-lasting contract would reduce disruption for customers and give residents and businesses confidence to transition to electric vehicles.
But Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Ayre said the current state of York’s charging network risked making the city a laughing stock.
The opposition leader said: “Prior to this administration York was a leading light in the shift to electric vehicles, now the network’s an embarrassment.
“I switched to a hybrid vehicle but that experiment only lasted 18 months before I went back, I could share the same horror stories others have of chargers not working, stopping working or the cable locking in and not releasing your vehicle.
“It’s time to get serious about ensuring our charging network is fit for purpose, or is this administration fundamentally anti-car?”
Labour transport executive member Cllr Ravilious said improvements to the city’s electric vehicle charging network would soon be set out in a new council strategy.
Cllr Ravilious said: “It’s really disappointing to see Cllr Ayre conflating many different things when this is quite straightforwardly about replacing a contract.
“We’re not anti-car, we absolutely see the value of electric vehicles addressing not just climate change but also health with improved air quality.
“Procuring a longer contract gives us longer term stability and stronger negotiating power, having it place means we’ll be able to add to our network with neighbourhood charging that are coming forward.”
