Kent County Council has awarded a 20-year contract to Urban Fox to install up to 10,000 on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging sockets across the county, as part of a programme aimed at expanding access for residents without off-street parking.
The rollout, supported by more than £12 million in central government funding, is scheduled to begin in summer 2026. The chargers will be installed primarily in residential streets where access to private driveways is limited, with locations selected based on local demand and technical suitability.
The funding is provided by the UK Department for Transport through its Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capital Fund. Kent County Council said the award represents the largest LEVI-backed project granted to a local authority in England and will be delivered without drawing on council tax revenues, supported instead by additional private investment.
“We’re pleased to support this programme because it offers practical help for residents and prepares Kent for the future,” said Peter Osborne, cabinet member for highways and transport at Kent County Council. “It will deliver reliable and affordable charging within walking distance of their homes, which is particularly important for people who do not have off-road parking – and it’s being delivered at no extra cost to Kent’s Council Tax payers.”
Urban Fox will work with the council and local communities to identify suitable streets for installation. The authority said assessments will also be coordinated with district and borough councils to ensure local needs are reflected in the final deployment plan.
Kent County Council said it has already installed around 200 public charge points, mainly in car parks, as part of its wider transport modernisation strategy. Residents can continue to nominate streets for on-street chargers via an interactive map on the council’s website, with more than 700 locations submitted so far.
“Residents have already shared over 700 places in their local communities where they would like to see EV chargers and we’ll be assessing each of them over the coming months as the roll-out begins,” Osborne added.
Urban Fox chief executive Oli Freeling-Wilkinson said the contract marked a significant step for the company. “This programme represents a significant step forward for EV charging in Kent,” he said. “Being awarded the contract to deliver up to 10,000 charging sockets is a clear vote of confidence in Urban Fox’s ability to deliver at scale while keeping communities at the heart of every project.”
The project comes as local authorities across the UK seek to accelerate EV infrastructure deployment to support the transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles, particularly for households without access to private charging.
