A trial of 30 on-street electric vehicle charge points will begin across Devon in early to mid-August, aimed at residents without off-street parking. char.gy, which says it operates the UK’s fourth largest on-street charging network, is delivering the installations in partnership with Devon County Council. The work is funded through the UK Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, with a portion of the funding released for each charge point installed. The company frames the trial as an early example of LEVI commitments moving from award into delivery.
Highlights
- 30 on-street charge points installed across Devon during the trial phase
- Early to mid-August start, with results informing the next phase of installations
- LEVI-funded delivery, with funding released per charge point installed
- More than 5,000 charge points nationwide, which char.gy ranks as the UK’s fourth largest on-street network
A Trial Built to Inform the Next Phase
The 30 chargers represent a first tranche rather than a full rollout. char.gy says a successful trial will inform the next phase of installations and help Devon understand how on-street charging can be scaled effectively to meet local demand. Tying funding release to each unit installed places the emphasis on physical delivery rather than on the award itself.
John Lewis, CEO of char.gy, said:
“This trial is an important step in turning LEVI funding into real, usable infrastructure for communities. For many drivers in Devon, access to reliable on-street charging is essential to making the switch to electric. By starting with a focused trial, we can learn what works locally and help lay the foundations for a wider rollout that gives residents confidence to go electric.”
Why Off-Street Parking Shapes Devon’s Rollout
Residents without a driveway or garage depend on public infrastructure, and char.gy identifies that gap as a key barrier to EV adoption in many parts of the county. The company works with local authorities across the UK on curbside networks, converting existing street infrastructure such as lampposts into charge points rather than installing standalone equipment on residential streets.
Councilor Jaqui Hodgson, Devon County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment and Biodiversity, said:
“On-road transport makes up more than a quarter of Devon’s total carbon emissions and the delivery of more publicly accessible EV chargers is of vital importance to help address the climate emergency.
“Making it as easy as possible for people to charge their vehicles when and where they need to — outside their home, on streets, in public car parks and even on lamp posts — is crucial to encourage the take-up of EVs.”
How Does the South West Compare on Charger Provision?
Citing Zapmap data, char.gy puts the UK public network at around 87,000 charging points across more than 45,000 locations as of late 2025 — a rapidly expanding network, but one where regional disparities persist. The South West has historically ranked below many urban areas on charger provision, which the company attributes to the difficulty of rolling out infrastructure across large, rural counties. Devon’s trial phase, in char.gy’s framing, marks the start of a more coordinated approach to expanding local charging access.
Network Scale and Power Supply
char.gy says it has more than 5,000 public charge points currently in operation nationwide, placing it fourth among UK on-street operators by its own account. That figure follows a period of rapid expansion in the company’s on-street network. The company states that every charger installed under the Devon trial will run on 100% renewable electricity, with pricing it positions as more affordable for neighborhood charging. Founded in 2016, char.gy specializes in on-street charging delivered through local authority partnerships.
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