This month £10 million has been awarded to nine local authorities who applied to the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme, launched by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).
The £10 million of government funding is in first tranche of the planned £450 million scheme, with winning pilot bids supported by an additional £9 million in private funding. A further £1.9 million will come from public funds across local authorities.
Through the LEVI pilot scheme, local authorities and industry will work together to create new, commercial EV charging infrastructure for residents, from faster on-street charge points to larger petrol station-style charging hubs.
The winners of the LEVI pilot fund are:
- Dorset Council
- Durham County Council
- Kent County Council
- Lincolnshire County Council (Supported by Midlands Connect)
- London Borough of Barnet
- North Yorkshire County Council
- Nottinghamshire County Council
- Suffolk County Council
- Warrington Borough Council
The funding is expected to deliver over 1,000 public chargepoints across the areas.
The scheme will help residents without private driveways to have better access to EV chargers, as well as growing the charging network across the country, supporting the nation’s uptake of zero emission vehicles and enabling more people to drive and charge without fear of being caught short, no matter where they are.
Decarbonisation Minister Trudy Harrison said: “We want to expand and grow our world-leading network of EV chargepoints, working closely with industry and local government, making it even easier for those without driveways to charge their electric vehicles and support the switch to cleaner travel.
“This scheme will help to level up electric vehicle infrastructure across the country, so that everyone can benefit from healthier neighbourhoods and cleaner air.”
As part of the LEVI Support Body, Energy Saving Trust manages applications to the scheme, along with its partners Cenex and PA Consulting.
Hugh Pickerill, programme manager for electric vehicle grants and infrastructure at Energy Saving Trust, said: “We’d like to thank all local authority officers for the time and effort that went into all LEVI pilot proformas and applications. We are excited to see these projects take off and increase the amount of close to home charging for those without access to off-street parking. This is a pioneering scheme that will support access to convenient and reliable EV charging for everyone. The LEVI Support Body looks forward to working with local authorities on applications to the full fund soon.”
Find out more about the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) scheme.
