A lack of charging infrastructure is widely recognised as a barrier to the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). EV drivers do most of their charging at home overnight, so public charge points are needed to support residents without off-street parking. Local authorities have a crucial role to play in the transition to electric vehicles by supporting and delivering the rollout of electric vehicle charge points in residential areas. However, many local authorities find that they lack the experience and/or resources to take the necessary steps forward.
Fortunately, there are a range of government-funded support services available. These are signposted below, along with other resources. The Greater South East Net Zero Hub also provides free support for all stages of transport decarbonisation project development and is able to give you advice about the latest innovations. Please browse our other Transport pages for further information. If you need help, please contact us: info@gsenetzerohub.org.uk.
Energy Saving Trust supports local authorities through a variety of programmes that aim to decarbonise transport, improve air quality and and increase electric vehicle adoption in the UK. In England, the Trust advises local authorities on charging infrastructure, electric vehicle accessibility and sustainable travel plans.
The Energy Saving Trust runs a local government support programme funded by the Department for Transport, which is free of charge to all local authorities in England.
The National EV Insight and Strategy (NEVIS) service from Cenex, supplies local authorities with reliable, independent, up-to-date information about electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. CLICK HERE to download a brochure, which sets out what the service has to offer. The NEVIS service is free to use for all local authorities in England until March 2025, as part of the Cenex LEVI Fund Support Body activities.
CLICK HERE for further details and to sign up to the service.
If you have any queries about the NEVIS service, please CLICK HERE to contact Cenex direct.
Many commercial chargepoint operators are now willing to invest capital into local authority EV charging projects, provided terms are offered that will allow investment to be recovered over time. Local authorities are recommended by government to explore this alternative approach to financing their project as a starting point. The Greater South East Net Zero Hub is familiar with this approach and can help you to explore this option. For further advice please contact us info@gsenetzerohub.org.uk.
The purpose of the scheme is to increase the availability of on-street chargepoints in residential streets where off-street parking is not available. The scheme gives local authorities access to grant funding that can be used to part-fund the procurement and installation of on-street electric vehicle chargepoint infrastructure for residential needs. The scheme is funded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles and administered by Energy Saving Trust, Cenex and PA Consulting.
Where local authorities will have difficulty in allocating parking spaces for EVs on residential streets, applications for chargepoints situated in car parks owned by local authorities can also be considered.
The Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund supports local authorities in England to plan and deliver chargepoint infrastructure for residents without off-street parking. The Fund comprises capital funding to support chargepoint delivery, and capability funding to ensure that local authorities have the staff and capability to plan and deliver chargepoint infrastructure. The Fund is administered by the Energy Saving Trust.
Go Ultra Low Oxford Phase 1 was a project funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and run by Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, which enabled the installation of on-street chargepoints across the city of Oxford. Around 28% of households in Oxford (over 41,000 people) live in terraced houses. Many of these houses do not have a driveway or garage to access off-street electric charging.
The Greater South East Net Zero Hub has developed a series of downloadable Hub Guides that cover a range of net zero themes and technical issues, and will be useful to anyone who is involved in a net zero project. This guide aims to support stakeholders with electric vehicle (EV) projects and covers the range of project stages, from initial conception to investment-ready project opportunities.
Transport East, working with England’s Economic Heartland and other partners, has undertaken extensive research to understand the scale and type of charging infrastructure needed to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles in the East of England. Current transport activity is responsible for 42% of the area’s carbon emissions, with the national average being 28%. The area has a large number of people living in rural locations where private transport is often needed for journeys.
There are two key strands to the research: EV:Ready, an infrastructure forecast commissioned from WSP, which provides transport officers with an evidence base to plan and prioritise future EV charging infrastructure (EVCI) requirements, and the Electric Vehicle Insight Study (ELVIS) commissioned from City Science, which provides insight about how local authorities, energy providers and private sector charge-point operators can work more effectively to deliver EV chargers in the right place.
