Councils share £40m to deliver EV chargers for drivers without driveways

Thirteen local authorities will benefit from a share of £40.8 million in Government funding to deliver 16,000 electric vehicle charge (EV) points in the midlands.  

The Department for Transport (DfT) says the cash – the latest awarded from the £381 million Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund – will benefit drivers without off-street parking.

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) estimates that, while 40% of drivers do not have a driveway, for commercial vehicle drivers, the figure is closer to 70%.

The approved projects, which have been supported by Midlands Connect, include: £5.6m to Lincolnshire County Council; £6.6m to Derbyshire County Council; £5.5m to Nottingham County Council; and £4.5m to Staffordshire County Council. 

Future of roads minister Lilian Greenwood said: “Making charging as seamless and as easy as possible is a crucial to making the switch to electric a success, and rolling out over 16,000 chargers across the midlands will make driving an EV cheaper and easier, especially for those without a driveway.”

DfT confirmed to Fleet News that the £381m LEVI fund has now been allocated, with local authorities going to tender and starting to roll out the chargers.

It launched the three-year LEVI programme in 2022, and had issued £242m of funding for local authorities to develop projects by October, 2024, including £40m of capability funding.

London boroughs were awarded a share of £35.7m in LEVI funding in 2023, while payments to 44 councils, totalling more than £185m were rubber-stamped in March, last year.  

The funding, which is backed by private investment, aims to support the installation of at least 100,000 charge points across England.

Zapmap revealed this week that there are now more than 75,000 public charge points available on the public network.  

Maria Machancoses, CEO of Midlands Connect, said: “We are delighted that our collaboration with local authorities has resulted in a significant funding boost for electric vehicle infrastructure across the region. 

“We will continue to work with local authorities to accelerate the roll-out of electric vehicle infrastructure across the Midlands.”

Research from Vauxhall found that the overwhelming majority (90%) of van fleets say are reliant on residential charging to make the switch to EVs, while just over a fifth (23%) cite a lack of infrastructure as a major barrier.