Over 1000 new EV charge points on the way through new pilot scheme

Over 1000 new electric vehicle (EV) charge points are set to be rolled-out across England through a new pilot scheme backed by Government and industry funding.

The charge points will be installed across nine local authority areas that were successful in applying for funding through the pilot phase of a new Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) scheme. The aim of the LEVI scheme is to connect authorities with industry to create new commercial EV charging infrastructure for local residents, from faster on-street charge points to larger hubs resembling the traditional filling station.

The LEVI scheme supports the Government’s UK EV infrastructure strategy>>, which has committed £450 million to support local authorities in rolling out charging infrastructure for EVs. The LEVI pilot is backed by £10 million of Government funding, with a further £9 million in private funding and £1.9 million from the local authorities.

The nine local authority areas first to receive a share of the funding are:

• Barnet
• Dorset
• Durham
• Kent
• Midlands Connect (with Lincolnshire as a lead authority)
• North Yorkshire
• Nottinghamshire
• Suffolk
• Warrington.

At the centre of the Government’s EV infrastructure strategy is a commitment to ensure – as a minimum – 300,000 public charge points are in operation by 2030, helping particularly those without access to a private driveway on which to charge their vehicle.

Providing a wide, visible and accessible network of public charge points will also help alleviate the widely reported ‘range anxiety’ among motorists currently reluctant to make the switch to an EV through fear of running out of charge or regularly making journeys beyond or close to the advertised ranges of the current crop of EVs.

The new LEVI scheme builds on the success of the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), which has seen nearly 2,900 charge points installed, with 10,000 more expected.