Plans to install 200 electric vehicle (EV) charging connectors in Manchester are gathering pace as the city council looks to help residents switch to cleaner cars.

By 2038, the number of electric vehicles in Manchester is estimated to increase to 140,000 – 75% of all vehicles.

Later this year, Manchester City Council plans to start looking for an operator to supply, install and manage up to 100 EV charging points with dual-headed connectors over two years.

Cars parks at leisure centres, parks and libraries, as well as council-owned car parks, are included in the 40 locations being considered to increase charging point provision.

Funding includes £1.1m from the Greater Manchester Combined and an anticipated £2.2m from the Government’s local electric vehicle infrastructure fund.

As of April this year, Manchester had 155 commercially-operated EV charging points, with around 300 connectors.

Executive member for environment Cllr Tracey Rawlins said that while the council wanted to improve public transport and encourage active travel, electric vehicles would ‘undoubtedly’ be important in reducing Manchester’s carbon emissions.

Sixty percent of the city’s population have no access to off-road parking and will be reliant on public infrastructure to make the switch to electric, Cllr Rawlins said.

She added: ‘We are aiming to help spark the expansion of Manchester’s public EV charging infrastructure to build capacity and confidence until it becomes viable for commercial operators to take over and become the main suppliers. This initiative will be an important first step.’

The council’s environment, climate change and neighbourhoods scrutiny committee will consider its EV charging strategy on 7 September.