Electric vehicle charging and hire offers across Oxfordshire this World EV Day

World EV Day, which takes place on 9 September, is an annual event aiming to highlight the progress in e-mobility and promote the shift to electrified transport.

This year, to celebrate World EV Day, the electric vehicle charging point companies will be offering deals – including free charging – for drivers across Oxfordshire.

There’s also the chance to join the county-wide EV car club scheme, with significant deals during World EV Day saving you money on membership and hire fees.

Since last year’s World EV Day, global electric vehicles sales have increased 39% and, in July 2023, (48%) of newly registered vehicles in Oxfordshire were purely electric. 

Drivers can find their local charging point on ZapMap.

Redbridge Park & Ride

Fastned, Tesla and Wenea will all be offering free charging for the whole day for any electric vehicle at their charging points at Redbridge Park & Ride.

Redbridge Park & Ride is home to Europe’s most powerful EV charging hub and can offer fast and ultra-rapid charging for 42 vehicles at once.

The offer provides free electric vehicle charging only. Parking charges will still apply.

EZ Charge

EZ Charge, which operates Park & Charge sites across Oxfordshire, will be offering app members the first hour of charging for free.

After the initial hour, usual rates will apply: 47p/kWh during the day and 42p/kWh overnight.

RAW Charging

RAW charging, which operates on-street charging bollards across Oxford, will be offering free charging at any of its Oxford locations:

• Stockmore Street
• Lake Street
• Frenchay Road
• Sandfield Road
• Juxon Street
• Stone Street
• Wytham Street
• Bedford Street
• Vicarage Close
• West St

Blink

Blink Charging, which operates electric vehicle charging at Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre, Keble Road, Manzil Way, Old Greyfriars Street and Headington Car Park, will be marking World EV Day with a donation to charities working to eradicate lung disease.

Co Wheels Car Club

Co Wheels Car Club will be offering a special promotional code (WORLDEVDAY) for new members who sign up before World EV Day.

The promotional code will provide new members with £15 free driving credit on sign up, as well as no joining fee (usually £25) and no monthly fee (usually £5 per month) for the full duration of their membership. 

Oxfordshire Electric vehicle (EV) car club pilot

Residents can continue to join the county-wide EV car club scheme this World EV Day, with car-club locations including Redbridge Park & Ride, EZ-Charge sites, and Co Wheels Car Club. 

The initiative is an electric car-sharing pilot is a partnership between Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, and Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire district councils that has provided the car parking spaces for vehicles.

Find out more about electric vehicles

Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire district councils, and Oxford Local Enterprise Partnership (OXLEP) have created the Climate Action Oxfordshire website.

The website contains lots of information about choosing an electric vehicle as well as information about other ways Oxfordshire residents can help tackle the climate emergency.

“World EV Day is about celebrating and thanking those making the switch to go electric. With a growing second-hand and car-sharing market, more and more people are moving to electric and Oxfordshire is continuing to lead the uptake. If you are an EV driver, why not take advantage of one of the many offers, and if you’re curious about electric cars this is a great time to try one out by joining an EV car club.”

Councillor Louise Upton, Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities at Oxford City Council

“Over 50% of new car sales in Oxfordshire are fully electric: we are UK leaders in the gathering momentum behind the switch to electric vehicles nationally. EVs have gone from a rarity to a common sight on our roads in only a few years.

“World EV Day is a way of marking this important change, signposting people to useful information and advice about making the switch, offering innovative opportunities to experience electric driving, as well as helping and guiding those who have already made that switch.”

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment at Oxfordshire County Council

“Electric vehicles are an important element of the shift we need to make as a society to meet the challenge of climate change and improve air quality in our urban areas. We’re playing our part with Park & Charge sites and EV car clubs operating in council car parks across Cherwell district. There’s already a great level of take-up for electric vehicles in north Oxfordshire and I hope that World EV Day helps further drive enthusiasm for them with some of the offers that are available for local motorists.”

Councillor Andrew McHugh, Portfolio Holder for Cleaner and Greener Communities at Cherwell District Council

“World EV Day is a good opportunity to highlight the benefits of EVs, such as reduced carbon and lower running costs. With new petrol and diesel vehicles banned from 2030 and EVs increasingly popular, we want to make it as easy as possible to make the shift. The EV chargers that we installed in some of our council-run car parks last year are already being well used.”

Councillor Freddie van Mierlo, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Nature Recovery at South Oxfordshire District Council

“The EV car clubs now in council-run car parks, like those we have in Abingdon and Wantage, are a great step forward in reducing carbon emissions, lowering the numbers of individual vehicles on our roads and helping bring down the cost of driving. We hope people will take up the special introductory offers this week which make the cost of EV car clubs even lower.”

Councillor Bethia Thomas, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council and Cabinet Member Climate Action and the Environment

“As we celebrate World EV Day, it’s really exciting to see so many new electric cars being registered in Oxfordshire and ultimately our roads becoming cleaner. We hope more people will give driving an electric vehicle a go and the new county-wide EV car clubs are an easy and affordable way of getting behind the wheel of one without the need of owning your own car.”

Councillor Andrew Prosser, Council Executive Member for Climate Change at West Oxfordshire District

“World EV Day, like many great ideas, was born out of an Oxford-based organisation, Green.TV Media. So, we're delighted it's now both a major global campaign, and an idea supported by Oxford City Council with its free EV charging for a day, in partnership with the local charge point operators.”

Ade Thomas, Oxford resident and Founder of World EV Day