Kerbside charging boost with 6,000 chargers planned

Suffolk County Council will deliver thousands of electric vehicle (EV) charge points for residents without off-street parking after successfully bidding for Government funding.

It has been awarded £5.3 million from the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, which supports local authorities to plan and deliver charging infrastructure for residents without off-street parking.  

Working in partnership with Believ, it will use a proportion of that funding along with more than £16m from the charge point operator (CPO) to deliver around 6,000 public charge points across the county.

Suffolk County Council is believed to be the first local authority in England to both award its LEVI main funding tender and subsequently sign a contract with an operator. 

Future of roads minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: “Making charging as easy as possible is a crucial ingredient to make the switch to electric a success. 

“Rolling out over 6,000 charging sockets across Suffolk will make driving an EV easier and more convenient, especially for those without a driveway. 

“The switch to electric will power growth, cut emissions and improve lives in Suffolk and beyond.” 

Beginning in Summer 2025, thousands of chargers will be installed on residential streets, with many locations suggested by local residents following a survey last year. 

The county council has also worked closely with district and borough councils and communities to identify further suitable sites. 

The majority will be bollard-style units at the kerbside, suitable for long-stay or overnight charging. 

Drivers will be able to benefit from an overnight off-peak tariff, and a dedicated resident’s tariff which features discounted charging at all times. 

Public car parks will also see a number of rapid and ultra-rapid charge point installations, allowing for quicker charging.  

Councillor Philip Fairclough-Mutton, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for environment, communities and equality says that a quarter of Suffolk households do not have a driveway, which is a “significant barrier” for people who would like an EV, as they have no convenient way to charge. 

“We are providing a solution by installing charge points on their street, or very nearby,” he said. “Our ambition is to provide them with a public charge point within a 5-10-minute walk or wheel. 

“There are around 1.5 million EVs on the country’s roads and we need thousands of new public charge points in Suffolk, and we need them quickly – around 5,400 by 2030, and 12,000 by 2040. 

“Working with Believ, our new installations will bring a significant reduction to those numbers.”

Following a competitive procurement exercise, Believ will install, operate and maintain the charge points, which deliver 100% renewable energy.  

Believ will install a minimum of 2,100 on-street charge points and more than 400 car park charge points by the end of 2026, increasing to a total of approximately 6,000 throughout the project as EV demand increases. 

Believ will also support with the installation of fast and rapid charging infrastructure at key locations, building on the county council’s successful ‘Plug In Suffolk’ project which launched in 2018. 

Guy Bartlett, Believ CEO, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded the opportunity to rollout such a significant number of charge points across Suffolk. 

“It will make a real difference to local EV drivers and give others the confidence to go electric, helping to support our mission to deliver cleaner air for all. Through this project we forecast the removal of nearly 140,000 tons of emissions by the end of the initial phase in late 2026. 

“As one of the UK’s best-backed privately funded charge point operators investing over £16m in the Suffolk area, Believ is well placed to support Suffolk deliver its zero carbon transport ambitions.” 

The kerbside charging boost comes as new figures from the Department for Transport (DFT) show that more than 1,200 public EV chargers were added in March.