£1.1 million for county EV chargers

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Thursday, 14 September 2023 20:28

By Gavin McEwan - Local Democracy Reporter

Herefordshire is to get over a million pounds to install new electric vehicle charging points around the county.

It is among 13 Midlands local authorities which, along with regional transport body Midlands Connect, successfully bid for nearly £40 million from the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) scheme.

However the charge points will not be installed before 2025 and will take until 2029 to roll out completely.

Herefordshire’s cabinet member transport and infrastructure Coun Philip Price said: “Further development is still needed to determine how and where this funding will be invested, but residents can get involved by suggesting locations for new EV charge points via our website.”

Midlands Connect forecasts the Midlands will need around 17,500 new public EV charging points by the end of 2025 to meet the growing electric vehicle market, which will create over 42,000 related jobs in the region by the end of 2032.

Its chief executive Maria Machancoses said the funding award “is a vital next step in our efforts to improve electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the region ahead of the ban on [the sale of new] diesel and petrol vehicles in 2030”.

“This will improve the lives of those living in the Midlands, particularly for those who do not have access to off-street parking and may struggle to charge their vehicle otherwise,” she said.