The Greater Manchester Electric Vehicle (GMEV) scheme, a new electric vehicle charging point network and pay as you go programme led by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), will launch on Sunday, July 28.

The GMEV scheme will see more than 250 charging bays across the 10 Greater Manchester districts go live - providing commuters with the infrastructure to charge electric vehicles.

It will be operated by Charge Your Car (CYC who will manage the payments and access to the GMEV scheme on behalf of TfGM.

Private sector partners, such as NCP, Manchester Central, Manchester Metropolitan University, Salford University and intu Trafford Centre are also on board, providing their own charging bays to supplement the network.

Launch event

TfGM will be holding a GMEV launch event on Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27 at the Intu Trafford Centre to raise awareness of the scheme.

Visitors to the intu Trafford Centre will be able to visit Orient Way to see electric vehicles, such as the Renault Zoe, and speak to representatives about GMEV.

They can book in for a test drive by emailing gmev@creativeconcern.com in advance or, subject to availability on either day, simply turning up with their full driving licence.

Councillor Andrew Fender, chair of TfGM committee, said: “Safe and dependable transport is essential to the region and to the economy but we are also working with our partners to provide more sustainable, low-carbon travel choices: be it bus, rail, tram, bike or cars.

“Through the GMEV network, we are building a more connected city with greater, greener transport options available for both residents and visitors.”

Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, said: "It’s initiatives like the GMEV charging scheme that are bringing to life the Coalition Government’s ambition to put in place a comprehensive and effective national infrastructure.  This will enable ultra low emission drivers to make the journeys that they need to."

A consortium from Greater Manchester, led by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA), secured £1.7 million of support through the Office for Low Emission Vehicle’s (OLEV) funded ‘Plugged In Places’ scheme. The scheme has also received a further £1 million from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

Introductory offer

Customers wishing to use the charging bays will be able to do so from July 28. They will be able to register through the TfGM website and receive an access card in the post, register via a mobile app downloadable from the website or simply pay as you go by phone.

As an introductory offer, GMEV users will be able to charge their Electric Vehicles for free (an administrative charge will apply for the pay as you go service).

The full pricing structure for users of the GMEV scheme will be announced in the autumn.

Recharging a typical EV (7kwh/32amp capability) fully in a GMEV bay will take approximately three to four hours – up to three times faster than charging at home.

Transport represents one of the largest sources of CO2 emissions in the UK, with road transport making up over 90 per cent of this. The largest share of which comes from cars.

The Committee on Climate Change – the Government’s climate advisors – says that the UK is forecast to have 1.7 million electric vehicles on the road by 2020 helping to meet carbon reduction targets.

Legally binding emission reduction targets are also in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 34 per cent by 2020.

Greater Manchester is signed up to these reductions – a goal that can be reached with electrical vehicles in a pivotal role. EVs have zero emissions at point of use and have lower carbon emissions overall. These emissions can drop further still as electricity production decarbonises through an increase in low carbon generation.

It is also an economical choice for many businesses to use electric vehicles for fleet purposes and Manchester businesses are also coming on board to install their own charge points.

For a map with all the current locations, go to page two.