Through the innovative Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme, local authorities and industry will work together to create new, commercial EV charging infrastructure for residents, from faster on-street charge points to larger petrol station-style charging hubs.
The rollout supports the government’s drive to encourage more motorists to go electric, which can save drivers money on fuel and running costs, and improve air quality as the country moves towards net zero.
The winners of the pilot fund are:
Barnet
Dorset
Durham
Kent
Midlands Connect (with Lincolnshire as a lead authority)
North Yorkshire
Nottinghamshire
Suffolk
Warrington
The funding is expected to deliver over 1,000 public charge points across the areas.
The scheme will help residents without private driveways to have better access to EV chargers, as well as grow the charging network across the country, supporting the nation’s uptake of zero-emission vehicles and enabling more people to drive and charge without fear of being caught short, no matter where they are.
Switching to cleaner travel
The pilot is backed by £10 million of government funding shared among the nine winning local authorities in the first tranche of the planned £450 million scheme, with winning pilot bids supported by an additional £9 million in private funding. A further £1.9 million will come from public funds across local authorities.
Decarbonisation minister Trudy Harrison said: “We want to expand and grow our world-leading network of EV charge points, working closely with industry and local government, making it even easier for those without driveways to charge their electric vehicles and support the switch to cleaner travel.
This scheme will help to level up electric vehicle infrastructure across the country so that everyone can benefit from healthier neighbourhoods and cleaner air.”
Ben Nelmes, co-founder and head of policy at green motoring consultancy New AutoMotive welcomes the news that drivers in the Midlands will have better access to electric vehicle charge points across the country, through a new pilot scheme backed by £20 million of government and industry funding announced.
15% of new vehicles registrations were electric in July
Ben says: “It is great to see that the Government has committed £20 million to build 1,000 new public charge points across the country.”
“This funding is essential. It will help ensure the public charging network continues to grow as the take-up of EVs increases in places like Kent and Durham, where New AutoMotive’s electric car count shows that just over 15% of all new vehicle registrations in July were electric.”
“Range anxiety has become less pronounced as the UK’s charging network has grown, but it is still one of the main barriers stopping many people from making the switch to electric. Building more public charging stations is essential to address this.”
“The positive reception to the pilot scheme shows that local authorities are eager to expand their charging networks and help lift the take-up of EVs within their jurisdictions.”
“We want to see the Government expand this scheme beyond the initial pilot to support the positive work local authorities across the UK are doing to grow their public charging networks and tackle range anxiety.”