Saturday, October 12, 2024
Infrastructure and TechnologyLatestNews

Portsmouth accelerates charging strategy

Portsmouth City Council has announced plans to more than triple the number of on-street chargepoints over the next three years.

The local authority said there was “more to come” and additional rapid charge points are to be made available in the area, following more than £4m in funding to prepare for the growing demand in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EV).

It comes as part of the council’s strategy on sustainable travel options for a cleaner, greener city, including rental e-bikes and e-scooters throughout Portsmouth, and 62 zero emission electric buses introduced in March 2024.

The city council hopes that more public charging options will make EV ownership more accessible for those without off-street parking. It is currently in discussion with operators who are tendering to install up to 320 new on-street chargepoints, which are planned to be installed by spring next year.

The council continues to work with chargepoint operators and Scottish and Southern Energy Networks (SSEN) and plans to re-energise over 20 more of the existing EV chargepoints over the next six weeks, ensuring that safety concerns have been addressed and necessary modifications made.

As part of the council’s recently adopted EVI strategy, new and innovative approaches to EV charging will also be explored to make it simpler and easier for people to charge EVs. This includes ideas like allowing gulley charging, a way for people to more easily charge from home without obstructing pavements, as well as even more public charge points at key locations.

Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport said:

“We know that the number of people choosing electric vehicles is increasing in the city, so this is a vital boost to help people make the change to EVs, following the recent issues with on-street chargers in the city over the past year.”

Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:

“We are pleased to announce a step towards a greener future with plans to triple the amount of on-street chargepoints for residents, and expand the number of rapid chargers available for taxis and private hire vehicles in Portsmouth.

“We’re committed to making sustainable travel accessible for all, from electric vehicles to buses, rental e-bikes and e-scooters, creating a cleaner, healthier city for everyone.”

Image courtesy of Portsmouth City Council

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