More than 1000 new electric car charging points are to be installed across nine local authorities in England thanks to a new government funded pilot.
The government has put forward £10 million in funding to be shared among the nine local authorities in the first part of a wider £450 million scheme.
Through the Local EV infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme, local authorities and industry will work together to create new, commercial EV charging infrastructure for drivers, from faster on-street chargepoints to larger petrol station-style charging hubs.
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The Department for Transport says the scheme supports the “government’s drive to encourage more motorists to go electric”.
The winners of the government-backed pilot fund are Durham, Dorset, Kent, Midlands Connect, Barnet, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk and Warrington.
More than 1000 new public EV charging points are expected to be installed across the local authorities.
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Alongside the £10 million from the government, winning authorities will also be supported by an additional £9 million in private funding, while a further £1.9 million will come from public funds across local authorities.
“We want to expand and grow our world-leading network of EV chargepoints, 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, said Trudy Harrison, Decarbonisation minister.
“This scheme will help to level up electric vehicle infrastructure across the country, so that everyone can benefit from healthier neighbourhoods and cleaner air.”
The pilot scheme will also allow local authorities to provide feedback on how to grow the charging network and how the private sector can play a role.
The new LEVI fund builds on the previous On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) which has helped to install nearly 2900 charging devices.
Around £30 million in funding has been raised for ORCS this year alone in order to boost ongoing EV chargepoint installations.
“It is essential that more on-street chargers are delivered to boost the transition to zero emission vehicles for those without home charging,” said AA president, Edmund King.
“This injection of an extra £20 million funding will help bring power to electric drivers across England from Durham to Dorset. This is one further positive step on the road to electrification.”
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