- More than 1,000 new electric vehicle chargepoints to be
installed in a new pilot, as part of a wider £450 million scheme
- Chargepoints will be built across nine local authorities
across England, including Durham, Nottinghamshire, and Suffolk
- Nearly £20 million from Government and industry funding for
pilot winners and further £10 million for existing
chargepoint scheme
Drivers will have better access to electric vehicle chargepoints
across the country, through a new pilot backed by £20 million of
government and industry funding announced today (August 24).
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 chargepoints 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 Durham, Dorset, Kent, Midlands
Connect (with Lincolnshire as a lead authority), Barnet, North
Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk, and Warrington, and the
funding is expected to deliver over 1,000 public chargepoints
across the areas.
The scheme will help residents without private driveways to have
better access to EV chargers, as well as growing 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.
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 said:
“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.
“This scheme will help to level up electric vehicle
infrastructure across the country, so that everyone can benefit
from healthier neighbourhoods and cleaner air.”
Edmund King OBE, AA president, said:
“It is essential that more on-street chargers are delivered to
boost the transition to zero emission vehicles for those without
home charging.
“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.”
The scheme will allow local authorities to provide feedback on
how to grow the network and the role the private sector can play.
The new LEVI fund builds on the success of the On-Street
Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) which has seen nearly 2,900
chargepoints installed so far with funding provided for
approaching 10,000 additional chargepoints in the future.
Following growing demand from local authorities, we’re also
announcing a further £10 million in funding which has been
brought forward for this year, bringing this year’s ORCS funding
to £30 million to help maintain ongoing installations.
Contact Information
Craig Cunningham
craig.cunningham@dft.gov.uk
Notes to editors
Editor’s notes
- The LEVI funding announcement is made up of £10.05 million
from the pilot LEVI scheme, £8.6 million from private operators
and £1.9 million from assorted public funds across the nine local
authorities. The ORCS scheme will continue to deliver
chargepoints across the UK and remains open for applications.
