Hampshire County Council has selected charge point operator Believ to deliver more than 17,000 public electric vehicle chargers in what is likely to be the largest Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) contract signed to date.
The programme is backed by up to £90m of private investment from Believ, with £6.6m of LEVI funding provided by the council. Installations are expected to begin later this year, with around 500 charge points planned in the first year.
The majority of chargers will be standard plus 22kW sockets designed to support overnight and long-stay residential charging, with more than 800 rapid charge points also included.
The rollout aims to place a charger within a five-minute walk of households where possible – a priority given that a third of Hampshire residents lack access to off-street parking.
Deputy leader Cllr Kirsty North said the initiative demonstrated how councils could combine public funding with private investment to deliver infrastructure at scale without adding to the burden on local finances.
Guy Bartlett, CEO of Believ, added: ‘This partnership with Hampshire County Council enables the largest EV charging programme delivered through the LEVI scheme to date. By combining public funding with significant private capital, we can move faster, reach more communities and make charging more accessible for residents all across Hampshire.’
