Daily EV news · UK · 6 February 2026
EV Charging
Wrexham Council offers residents discount on public EV charging in council car parks
Wrexham Council has partnered with Costelloes, with part funding from the Welsh Government, to expand its public EV charging network across the county borough, including higher speed chargers. The council now offers Wrexham residents a discount on chargepoints located in council car parks, with applications available through the Costelloes EV Group website. The initiative targets residents without off road parking ahead of the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicle sales and the 2035 hybrid ban.
Why it matters
The resident discount scheme may influence chargepoint utilisation rates and revenue models for operators working with local authorities. Councils seeking to replicate Wrexham's approach will need to balance subsidised access for residents against commercial viability for CPO partners.
Shell Recharge site at Exelby forecourt targets six year payback on EV charging investment
A Shell Recharge installation at Exelby forecourt in the United Kingdom is on track to achieve payback within six years, according to Forecourt Trader. The site operator reported the timeline for recovering the capital outlay on EV charging infrastructure, providing a benchmark for forecourt investment returns in the UK market.
Why it matters
A six year payback window offers a concrete financial case study for independent forecourt operators and fuel retailers evaluating EV charging deployment, and may inform procurement decisions and site selection criteria for charge point operators partnering with petrol station networks.
Ogilvie Fleet partners with ChargedEV to bundle home charger costs into lease agreements
Ogilvie Fleet has partnered with ChargedEV to allow leasing clients to add the cost of an Indra Smart Pro domestic charge point and standard installation to monthly vehicle rental payments, spread over the contract term at no extra cost. ChargedEV manages the end to end process, from home survey to installation, typically completed within three weeks. The arrangement removes upfront costs and administration for businesses equipping drivers with home charging infrastructure.
Why it matters
The bundled financing model addresses a common barrier to fleet electrification by eliminating upfront capital expenditure for home charging hardware. For procurement teams, the integrated lease structure simplifies budgeting and accelerates driver onboarding for electric fleets.
Electric Vehicles
First Bus to deploy 24 more electric buses in Norfolk with £13.8 million depot upgrade
First Bus is electrifying its Caister Road depot in Great Yarmouth as part of a £13.8 million investment funded by the operator and Norfolk County Council's Bus Service Improvement Plan. The upgrade will enable deployment of 24 additional electric buses, adding to the 70 already operating across Norfolk following the earlier £37.2 million transformation of the Roundtree Way depot in Norwich through ZEBRA funding. The new depot will join First Bus's First Charge public charging network, opening infrastructure to EV drivers when not needed for bus operations.
Why it matters
The project demonstrates how bus electrification creates dual use charging infrastructure opportunities, with depot chargers accessible to the public outside peak bus hours. It also signals continued BSIP and ZEBRA funding flowing into regional depot upgrades, creating procurement opportunities for high power charging equipment as operators work toward First Bus's 2035 zero emission fleet target.
Only one in four UK technicians qualified to work on EVs
Fleet News reports that just 25 per cent of automotive technicians in the United Kingdom hold qualifications to service electric vehicles, highlighting a significant skills gap as EV adoption accelerates. The figure underscores workforce readiness challenges in the transition to electric mobility.
Why it matters
A shortage of qualified EV technicians threatens the ability of charge point operators and fleet managers to maintain vehicles and infrastructure reliably, potentially slowing deployment and increasing downtime. Procurement teams may face higher service costs and longer lead times as demand for skilled labour outstrips supply.