Own your assets. Control your revenue

How councils can turn EV chargers into long-term revenue

As electric vehicle adoption accelerates, many Local Authorities face a critical decision: who should own the EV charging infrastructure—councils or private operators?

To deploy EV chargers quickly, it’s often tempting to let private operators take the lead – owning the assets, setting the pricing, and managing the service. While understandable, especially for stretched councils, this approach can mean missing out on long-term value: sustainable revenue, valuable data on EV use, and public trust.

The good news? Councils don’t have to do it all themselves to stay in control. With the right structure in place, you can retain strategic oversight and a meaningful revenue stream—even if a private operator is running the day-to-day service.

Here’s why owning your EV assets—whether fully or through a hybrid model—can pay off in the long run.

What outsourcing really costs

Most councils today receive just pennies per kWh—often £0.01 or less—from chargepoints operated by private firms. Others get nothing at all. While this reduces risk and speeds up deployment, it also limits future flexibility and long-term revenue.

Compare that to Oxford City Council’s concession model, developed under its Go Ultra Low Oxford project:

• The council owns the chargepoints, funded upfront with OLEV support.
• Operators lease the units and return a share of profits once viable.
• There’s no monthly council cost for maintenance or customer service.

Meanwhile, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) runs a mixed ownership model through a seven-year framework contract:

• TfGM owns some chargepoints directly, with revenue returned to the authority.
• “Host agreements” allow supplier-owned chargers on council land—operators pay rent and set pricing under agreed terms.

This approach helps councils balance risk and reward.

Quick maths

For illustration: a network of 50 chargers, each used 10 times a day at 25kWh per session, delivers:

• 12,500 kWh daily
• 4.56 million kWh per year
• If the council receives just 5p per kWh, that’s £228,000/year in revenue

That’s income that can be reinvested in sustainable transport, public realm improvements, or further EV rollout.

But councils should be cautious: Higher costs for councils often results in higher costs for drivers—potentially undermining public adoption. Similarly, profit-sharing agreements sound appealing but can disappoint if Charge Point Operators (CPOs) remain unprofitable or usage doesn’t reach ambitious targets.

The key is to structure intelligent agreements that align with utilisation realities and protect both council and driver interests.

You don’t have to do it all: Hybrid models can work

Ownership doesn’t mean the council needs to manage billing systems, faults, or support lines. Many successful frameworks use hybrid models where:

• Councils own the infrastructure
• Charge Point Operators (CPOs) handle operations under clear SLAs
• Pricing, data, and location strategy remain under public control

TfGM’s regional framework combines these approaches under one contract—helping reduce fragmentation and enabling consistent service across ten local authorities.

Strategic control = Smarter outcomes

When councils retain ownership, they also gain:

• Pricing flexibility – protect residents from inflated tariffs
• Data access – usage, fault reports, and demand trends
• Equity – chargers can be deployed where they’re most needed, not just where they’re most profitable
• Upgrade potential – easier integration with solar, V2G, and wider energy strategies
• Public trust – residents are often more confident using publicly-led services

The experience in Barnet LBC illustrates this well. As highlighted in a recent roundtable, the borough found its highest-use chargepoints were not in affluent neighbourhoods but in areas where residents depend on their vehicles for work. This kind of insight allows smarter, data-led decision-making—not just box-ticking based on postcode.

Avoid the Common Pitfalls

Some operators overpromise in tenders—offering revenue shares that only kick in at unrealistic utilisation levels (e.g. 80%). Once installed, councils often realise the targets were unachievable, and the promised revenue never materialises.

By retaining ownership or structuring smarter contracts, councils can avoid:

• Unfavourable long-term lock-ins
• Little or no say on pricing or network growth
• Missed opportunities for grant funding like LEVI
• Misalignment with climate goals or mobility strategies

An intelligent revenue model—whether based on a fair percentage of net profit, fixed lease payments, or tiered utilisation thresholds—helps councils balance financial returns with affordability for drivers.

How evpzee can help

At evpzee, we work closely with Local Authorities and their chosen operators to deliver robust, future-ready EV charging hardware that supports long-term strategic goals.

Whether you’re exploring public ownership, hybrid models, or frameworks like those used by Oxford and TfGM, we’ll help ensure your infrastructure is:

• Built to last – vandal-resistant, OCPP-compliant, and easy to maintain
• Ready for revenue – designed to integrate with your preferred operators and systems
• Flexible by design – suitable for both kerbside and column installations
• Scalable – supports future upgrades like smart charging, V2G, and real-time monitoring

We also work with a broad network of CPOs—making us a useful partner when shaping your approach or running a pilot scheme.