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Midlands councils in £1million electric vehicle charging point bid

Published: Thursday 06 June 2022

Midlands councils in £1million electric vehicle charging point bid

  • Five local authorities and Midlands Connect submit bid for £935,355 Government funding  

  • If successful, funding would be used to deliver 322 standard and 27 rapid EV charging points 

  • Lincolnshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and Stoke-on-Trent councils part of bid 

  • Nominated chargepoint locations targeted towards areas with low % of off-street parking  

A partnership of five local authorities across the Midlands region, alongside Sub-National Transport Body Midlands Connect have submitted a bid for almost £1million in funding, as part of Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Pilot. 

If successful, the money - which totals £935,355 - will be distributed between Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Herefordshire, Rutland and Stoke-on-Trent Councils. It is expected that this support from Government will attract an additional £2.1million in private sector investment, with the cumulative funds being used to install a total of 322 standard and 27 rapid public electric vehicle (EV) chargers. 

Last year, analysis by Midlands Connect found that the Midlands needed 17,461 new public EV charging points by the end of 2025 to meet growing demand. It is hoped that this pilot could pave the way for a larger, region-wide installation scheme. 

The majority of chargepoints installed will be on-street chargers in residential areas, alongside some publicly-available chargers situated in council-owned carparks and other council owned land. 

Estimates suggest that the installation and maintenance of electric vehicle charging points will create an influx of jobs in the region, with over 42,000 related roles set to be created in the Midlands region by the end of 2032.  

At present, 93% of electric vehicle owners have access to off-road parking. It’s hoped that increasing the number of public charging stations will make it easier for those without a driveway to make the switch to electric, while also increasing the ease of travel and charging for all EV users. 

Maria Machancoses, CEO of Midlands Connect, said: 

“It’s clear that the electric vehicle revolution is well underway in the Midlands – our projections suggest that by the end of the decade over one in four cars will be electric. It’s vital that we act now to install the infrastructure motorists need to travel conveniently and to accelerate the take up of EVs, especially in areas where on-street parking is the norm. Local Authorities are working hard to install public charge points, but it’s vital that we secure support from Government to make change happen faster and encourage further investment from the private sector.” 

Cllr Martin Hill. leader of Lincolnshire County Council, the authority leading the bid, said: 

“We know that residents in Lincolnshire are keen to make greener choices and many are planning to make the switch to an electric vehicle well ahead of the ban on new diesel and petrol car sales in 2030. Given that we are such a vast county where motorists often have to travel longer distances, it’s essential that we have a comprehensive network of public charging points in place so that motorists can travel without the worry of losing power, and residents without driveways know they can charge their vehicles close to home. We’re very hopeful that this bid will be successful, allowing us to move forward and install the charging points we so sorely need.”