MORE than £4.5million has been awarded to help install more electric vehicle charging points in areas with limited off-street parking across Staffordshire.
The funding is from the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund.
A total of £40.8million was allocated to 13 local authorities in the Midlands, including Staffordshire County Council.
It is hoped that the funding will help deliver 16,000 new charging points across the region.
Cllr Mark Deaville, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for strategic highways, said:
“Councils do not receive funding for electric vehicle charging in our general budgets, so this money is a major step forward in allowing us to help make electric vehicle charging more accessible across Staffordshire.
“By adding more public charge points, we’re making it easier for people to switch to electric vehicles, especially those without driveways.
“This investment will not only support our sustainability goals but also ensure that Staffordshire is ready for the future of transport.”
Figures show that almost a third of Midlands residents do not have access to off-street parking.
It is hoped that increasing the number of public on-street charge points will make it easier for those without a driveway to make the switch to an electric vehicle.
Maria Machancoses, CEO of Midlands Connect, said:
“We are delighted that our collaboration with local authorities has resulted in a significant funding boost for electric vehicle infrastructure across the region.
“This is a great step in moving towards a reliable electric vehicle charging infrastructure network across the Midlands, which will become increasingly important as we move closer to the 2035 ban of diesel and petrol vehicles.
“We will continue to work with local authorities to accelerate the roll-out of electric vehicle infrastructure across the Midlands.”
