Suffolk County Council is set to deliver around 6,000 new public electric vehicle (EV) charging points across the county to support residents make the transition to EVs.
The roll-out of the new charge points is possible thanks to a successful £5.3m bid by the council to the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund.
The delivery is being carried out in partnership with charge point operator (CPO) Believ, which is investing £16m into the scheme.
Suffolk County Council is the first local authority in England to both award their LEVI main funding tender and subsequently sign a contract with an operator.
Cllr Philip Fairclough-Mutton, the council’s cabinet member for Environment, Communities and Equality said: ‘25% of Suffolk households don’t have a driveway and park on their street. This is a significant barrier for people who would like an EV, as they have no convenient way to charge.
‘We are providing a solution by installing charge points on their street, or very nearby. Our ambition is to provide them with a public charge point within a 5-10 minute walk or wheel.’
