AROUND 2,000 new electric vehicle charging points will be created in Warwickshire thanks to new government funding.
Warwickshire County Council (WCC) has been allocated £3.3million from the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capital Fund.
Based on current estimates, this funding will allow for the delivery of 2,000 charging sockets at both on-street and in car park locations.
The council is in discussions with District and Borough councils to identify suitable sites.
WCC is also working with private sector partners to co-ordinate the installation of more publicly available charging points – especially in parts of the county where charge-point delivery has so far been slower.
And the council is also carrying out a trial to allow home-charging on terraced streets through the use of cable protectors.
Coun Jan Matecki, WCC’s Transport and Planning spokesman, said: “We know that more people are keen to move away from fossil-fuel powered vehicles and that our role in this important shift is to provide increased charging infrastructure that makes this switch both possible and desirable. This funding is an important next step that enables us to do that.”
The council’s Environment spokeswoman Coun Heather Timms said emissions from petrol and diesel vehicles were a big contributor to Warwickshire’s overall carbon emissions.
She added: “Through a mixture of more electric vehicles on our roads and more residents choosing to travel actively, we can all contribute to improving our air quality and environment. With this very simple and relatively low-tech solution we hope we can further open up the opportunities for residents to choose electric as we strive, together, for a Warwickshire that is sustainable now and for future generations.”
Visit www.zap-map.com to find all available charge points in Warwickshire and beyond.
Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/roads-transport/charge-points-electric-vehicles for more information about electric vehicle charging in Warwickshire.
