The giant 'charging oasis' coming to a Greater Manchester town

Work has started on a huge new EV charging site in Failsworth - which developers have called a ‘charging oasis’. The 12-bay charging hub is being constructed by EV network Be.EV on the plot of a former petrol station on the corner of Reliance Street and Oldham Road, straddling the border of Manchester and Oldham.

The site has stood derelict for more than 15 years but will now be transformed into 12 ultra-rapid charging bays, four waiting bays to queue in case the chargers are all busy, and a Cafe Nero. The ports can charge electric cars up to 80 percent in 20 minutes, according to Be.EV.

Asif Ghafoor, the CEO of Be.EV, said: “We’ve designed the site with EV drivers in mind - we know that they want amenities on-site, either to take an extended break from driving, or simply to pop in and grab a takeaway coffee.”

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The site, which has stood derelict for 15 years, sees more than 26,000 commuters pass by each day, and has more than 1,242 registered EVs in the area.

With the government encouraging the public to switch to electric vehicles, many local authorities are looking at ways to expand their EV charging networks with private sector agreements.

Oldham Council is currently developing a scheme to introduce public charging ports within a ten minute radius of any neighbourhood, in response to concerns that those without driveways will be unable to charge their cars at home without creating ‘trip hazards’ in the street.

Councillor Josh Charters, Deputy Cabinet Member for Bee Network Delivery, said: “The introduction of more electric charging points locally, and nationally, is a good thing for residents and