Funding worth more than £5million to help deliver a plan for the Staffordshire’s future electric vehicle charging network has been welcomed.
The grant from the Department for Transport is designed to help local authorities scale up provision.
The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund aims to allow more residents, especially those without off-street parking, make the switch from petrol and diesel cars.
To access the funding, Staffordshire County Council will now work with other local councils and partners to develop a detailed business plan for submission before the end of the year.
Cllr Simon Tagg, cabinet Member for environment, infrastructure and climate change, said:
“The country is already embarking on the transition away from carbon fuels with the rollout of electric vehicles, the government’s chosen route.
“This funding is good news in terms of our combined efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.
“It’s vital that we have the right infrastructure in place across the county to support the anticipated growth in electric car usage.
“We have an important role to play in this and we are working with our district and borough colleagues in an enabling role, as it’s the private sector who will be leading on the delivery of electric charging infrastructure across Staffordshire.”
Cllr Simon Tagg, Staffordshire County Council
The county council has previously set out its plans on how it will meet the needs of communities and businesses as the usage of electric vehicles increases.