A new county-wide strategy is to be adopted in a bid to make electric vehicle charging available to all, despite the challenges posed by North Yorkshire’s vast rural areas.
It is hoped an enhanced network of charging points will support the uptake of electric vehicles over the next 10 years, helping to tackle climate change as well as bringing new skills and investment into the local economy.
Members of the executive are due to meet on Tuesday, 2 May, to consider the findings of a public consultation which will help to shape the electric vehicle charging infrastructure strategy.
The council has already secured £2.2 million in funding from the national Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme to install 70 charge points across the county.
They will be installed alongside battery storage units, charged by solar panels. The technology will be sympathetic to the rural landscape and will see residential charge points in both on-street locations and larger charging hubs.
A further LEVI funding opportunity was announced in March, whereby the council is being invited to bid for £4.88 million. If successful, funding must be spent by 2025.
Executive member for climate change, Cllr Greg White, said: “The roll-out of comprehensive electric vehicle charging infrastructure is key to achieving the county’s carbon zero target.
“The recent consultation asked the public about electric vehicle usage and gathered views on our proposals and further ideas. The findings will influence the delivery of electric vehicle charging infrastructure as we strive to give residents the confidence to consider electric as a credible choice.”
Demand for charging points is expected to soar within the next decade as motorists switch to electric vehicles ahead of a ban on petrol and diesel engines in new vehicles from 2030.
The vast rural areas of North Yorkshire, which is England’s largest county, present significant issues to ensure a cost-effective network of electric charging points can be introduced.
Executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said: “We have already made huge steps in the delivery of electric vehicle charging infrastructure thanks in part to the pilot LEVI funding - the highest amount secured by any local authority in the country.
“The rural nature of North Yorkshire means delivering charging points is more difficult, but we are ready to rise to the challenge to ensure our area does not fall behind.
“After extensive feedback from the public, we are looking to adopt an ambitious strategy. This will support North Yorkshire residents and businesses as more and more make the switch, and ensure we remain a destination of choice for visitors with electric vehicles.”
The strategy shows there are almost 4,000 electric vehicles registered in North Yorkshire and 225 publicly available charge points.
It is predicted that 724 chargers will be needed by 2025, and 3,161 charge points by 2030. Half will need to be funded by the public sector at a cost of £10.3 million.
Find out more about electric vehicle charging in North Yorkshire.