Portsmouth City Council to triple the number of on-street electric vehicle chargers
They'll be more to come and additional rapid chargepoints to be made available
Portsmouth has announced plans to more than triple the number of on-street chargepoints over the next three years, with more to come and additional rapid chargepoints to be made available.
Portsmouth City Council has been awarded over ÂŁ4m in funding to prepare for the growing demand in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), as more people in the city choose greener vehicles.
It's part of the council's ongoing commitment to advancing sustainable travel options for a cleaner, greener city, including rental e-bikes and e-scooters throughout Portsmouth, and 62 brand new, zero emission electric buses introduced in March - a first for the region.
For many EV owners, charging at home is the most convenient option, but off-street parking isn’t always available. By installing more on-street chargers, residents will be able to more easily charge their vehicles, making EV ownership more accessible to everyone.
The council are currently in discussion with operators who are tendering to install up to 320 new on-street chargepoints, which are planned to be installed by spring next year.
Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport said, "We know that the number of people choosing electric vehicles is increasing in the city, so this is a vital boost to help people make the change to EVs, following the recent issues with on-street chargers in the city over the past year."
Additionally, three new rapid chargers are now available in All Saints car park on Church Street, PO1 4NB. These allow anyone with an EV to charge their vehicle quickly and one of the allocated spaces is also the first in the city to be made large enough for drivers who need more space, such as people with blue badges or drivers of larger vehicles.
Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: "This World EV Day, we are pleased to announce a step towards a greener future with plans to triple the amount of on-street chargepoints for residents, and expand the number of rapid chargers available for taxis and private hire vehicles in Portsmouth. We're committed to making sustainable travel accessible for all, from electric vehicles to buses, rental e-bikes and e-scooters, creating a cleaner, healthier city for everyone."
The council continues to work with chargepoint operators and Scottish and Southern Energy Networks (SSEN) and plans to re-energise over 20 more of the existing EV chargepoints over the next six weeks, ensuring that safety concerns have been addressed and necessary modifications made.