New figures from Brighton and Hove Council are showing quick take-up of the city’s newest on-street electric vehicle charging points.
More than 200 lamppost chargers were installed over the summer of 2020 from a £300,000 Office of Low Emission Vehicles alongside a £100,000 investment from operator Electric Blue.
During September and October, the first two months when all lamppost chargers were installed and operating, they were used 1,191 times, delivered 13,402 kWh worth of energy and helped save approximately 11.1 metric tonnes in carbon emissions.
The council saw a big increase in usage in October compared to September with the number of kWh up by 40% and the number of times the chargers were used up by 19%.
Chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee Amy Heley: “We know that in order to meet our climate goals and improve air quality, we need to drastically reduce car use in our city.
“However, we also know that for those people who need drive in the city, having the right infrastructure in place is a big consideration for choosing whether or not to go electric.
“Our goal is to be a carbon neutral city by 2030. We move closer to achieving that ambitious target every time a petrol or diesel engine is replaced with an electric one.”
Residents and visitors are charged costs of 26p per kw/h for lamppost chargers, 27p per kw/h for fast and rapid chargers – with power fuelled by 100% renewable energy.
The council will receive 1p per kwh in year one increasing to 4p per kwh in year 4, which it will reinvest in more charge points.
