Electric vehicles (EV)

We'll continue to:

• engage and seek feedback from local communities to understand the evolving needs and expectations of current/prospective EV drivers
• work with Midlands Connect and other local authorities to bid for further government funding, as it becomes available
• consider introducing public chargepoints at our Country Parks and Park and Ride sites
• review our own fleet vehicles, identifying opportunities to transition to low emission vehicles, and provide the necessary charging infrastructure, where this is practicable and cost effective
• review EV schemes that other authorities have introduced, or are currently piloting, to learn from their experiences
• press the government to set out a national approach and standards for EV charging infrastructure, which is appropriately funded

Working with Midlands Connect and 4 other local authorities, we have secured almost £1 million of government’s first portion of LEVI funding for public chargepoints across the Midlands. Of the funding secured, we have been allocated approximately £220,000 towards the installation of public chargepoints in Leicestershire.

Although specific chargepoint locations have yet to be determined, the focus will be on the most populated settlements across the county. This will centre on residential streets where there are high proportions of housing with limited or no access to private off-street parking.

The majority of chargepoints will be lower powered (3kW-22kW) with a small number of rapid chargepoints (50kW+).

We are working with a chargepoint operator to provide chargepoints as part of the pilot project and assist with funding, design, consultation, maintenance, and operation on the behalf of the authority.

Chargepoints will be subject to grid capacity checks with DNOs and engagement with local communities in winter 2024 and early 2025, with delivery planned from 2025 onwards.

In April 2023 we were provisionally allocated further capital funding to deliver a large-scale chargepoint project. We're still in the early stages and are currently in the process of securing the funding, working alongside Midlands Connect and a consortium of other local authorities.

In accordance with government’s LEVI funding criteria and the scope of our emerging EV Charging Strategy, the focus of the project is likely to be on chargepoints:

• within the public highway, i.e. residential streets, estates, high streets, and main roads
• on suitable county council-owned sites, i.e. Country Parks and libraries (subject to the availability of funding)
• in urban and rural locations across the entire county
• where there is evidence of residential parking demand and home charging isn't possible (i.e. no/limited off-street parking availability)
• suited to mainly lower powered on-street Standard chargers (7kW) for overnight charging, Lamppost chargers (3kW), and a small number of Rapid chargers (50kW+) will also be considered across the county where appropriate

The locations identified by residents and the feedback we received from the public engagement exercise will feed into our future chargepoint delivery plans for the project, where these align with LEVI funding criteria, and the scope of our emerging EV Charging Strategy.

The full project will allow us to build on the pilot project and expand the number of public EV chargepoints across the county. Further updates will follow if we're successful in securing the funding for the project.

There are many providers and types of home chargepoints available for residents to install on their private land. Home chargepoint providers require customers to have access to off-street parking prior to installation and won't install in locations where the resident would be required to trail a cable across the highway. See the government's list of approved chargepoint installers

Typically planning permission isn't required for residents to install wall mounted chargepoint on their private land. However, the electrical outlet and casing mustn't:

• exceed 0.2 cubic metres
• face onto and be within 2 metres of the highway
• be within a site designated as a scheduled monument
• be within the curtilage of a listed building

If your property is a listed building or is located in a conservation area, you must obtain planning permission for your EV chargepoint.

Leicestershire residents without access to private off-street parking and charging facilities are not currently permitted to trail a charging cable over the pavement or street between their property and vehicle, even if it's covered by a cable cover or mat, or utilises a cross-pavement charging solution such as a cable channel or ‘gully.’ Residents are also not permitted to install a private chargepoint overhanging or on the street outside their home.

This is a new and very challenging area for local highway authorities to address, with very little consensus nationally on how to allow private individuals to utilise the public highway and provide individual charging opportunities for those who don’t have off-street parking.

Whilst the government has recently announced an Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant, there is currently no national guidance which sets out the approach local highway authorities should take to navigate the significant and complex issues resulting from this type of infrastructure.

Therefore, at present, we are not currently pursuing or granting permission for any form of cross-pavement or street charging solutions for private individuals.

We are encouraged to hear that cross-pavement guidance is being prepared by the government, as promised in its 'Plan for Drivers' that is expected to be released in 2024, at which point we'll review our position.

The latest details on government EV infrastructure grant schemes can be found on the government’s Office for zero emission vehicles (OZEV) webpage

This includes grants for:

• renters and flat owners
• staff and fleet car parks for small and medium businesses
• landlords
• state funded education institutions
• workplaces, charities, public sector organisations, and small accommodation businesses

The speed at which a vehicle is charged is measured in Kilowatts (kW).

• Slow and Standard chargepoints have a power output of up to 8kW and are primarily used for overnight charging. A typical EV can be charged from empty to 80% in around 12 hours and will add up to 15-30 miles of range per hour of charging.
• Fast chargepoints have a power output of up to 49kW and typically charge a vehicle in 2-6 hours and add up to 90 miles of range per hour of charging.
• Rapid chargepoints have a power output of over 50kw and can charge an EV in around an hour.
• Ultra rapid chargepoints generally have a power output over 150kW and can fully charge an EV in less than an hour.