Shropshire Council is part of a consortium of Midlands councils to have secured £33m-worth of funding from the government for the commissioning and installation of more EV charging points.
Shropshire Council joined one of two partnerships to successfully submit a bid for the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) scheme, alongside sub-national transport body, Midlands Connect.
The funding will be divided between the 12 councils and will see additional on-street charging points installed from 2024 through to 2028.
Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, said: “I am delighted we have been part of a successful consortium that has brought a further £33m to our region to help fund EV charging points for people who do not have access to off-street charging.
“The number of EVs on our roads is increasing day by day and it is vital that people have access to on-street charging to allow them to move around freely, to support our local economy and to help take positive steps over climate change.
“Shropshire Council’s latest figures show there is already strong demand for charging points across the county, and we have already seen 400 users responsible for in excess of 1,000 transactions at our existing points. This is the equivalent of around 5,226 miles of travel, saving around 1.5 tonnes of carbon by comparison with conventional petrol and diesel vehicles.”
Analysis by Midlands Connect found the Midlands needs 17,461 new public EV charging points by the end of 2025 to meet the needs of the growing EV market.
Estimates suggest the installation and maintenance of EV charging points will also create an influx of jobs in the region, with more than 42,000 related roles set to be created in the Midlands by the end of 2032.
Maria Machancoses, CEO of Midlands Connect, added: “This is a vital next step in our efforts to improve EV charging infrastructure across the region ahead of the ban of diesel and petrol vehicles in 2030. This funding will improve the lives of those living in the Midlands, particularly for those who do not have access to off-street parking and may struggle to charge their vehicle otherwise.”
Details of the share of funding and where the new EV charging points will be installed have yet to be announced.
