Cornwall’s electric vehicle (EV) charging network will be given a boost with up to 2,000 charge points to be installed from next year.
Cornwall Council has successfully bid for £5.5m from the Department for Transport’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to bring charge points to more areas.
Providing lower power and cheaper, residential charging at slower speeds, charge points will initially be installed in council car parks, with on-street charging set to appear as the project progresses.
As part of this work, residents, groups and town and parish councils are being asked for their views on where EV charge points are most needed.
Cornwall currently ranks in the top 20% of local authority regions for the number of public EV charge points. In 2023, Cornwall Council installed 226 new charging points through the Drive EV2 project.
Funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Council’s Carbon Neutral Fund, the charging points were installed in Cornwall Council car parks in 42 locations.
Cllr Dan Rogerson, Cornwall Council cabinet member for transport, said:
“With less than five years to go until the ban on new diesel and petrol engines comes into effect, we want to make sure the infrastructure is in place to meet the needs of our residents.
“This funding means we can install chargers in our rural communities where the private sector is unlikely to invest. It also means that, for the first time, we can consider on-street charging. To make the most difference however, we need to hear from communities about where to install them.”
Image courtesy of Cornwall Council
