Electric vehicles (EV)

We’re following the progress of the electric vehicle (EV) market closely so we can support our residents with suitable charging points where they are needed most.

The market for electric vehicles

With a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars nationally being brought forward to 2030 by Government, the uptake of electric vehicles (EV) is forecast to rapidly increase over the next decade. 

Government’s UK electric vehicle infrastructure strategy, published in March 2022, predicts that a minimum of 300,000 public charging points will be needed nationally by 2030 to meet the expected demand - currently there are around 30,000. 

Our target to achieve net zero carbon

We declared a climate emergency in May 2019, aspiring to zero carbon by 2030 for our own operations and ahead of national targets, as well as joining the UK100 coalition, pledging to reach a revised target of achieving net zero across the county by 2045, five years sooner than the government target of 2050. 

To help us decarbonise transport and contribute to our net zero ambitions for the county, we're keen to support residents in switching to electric vehicles.

Nevertheless, this is a new and very challenging area for local authorities, with very little consensus nationally on how to provide the necessary charging infrastructure in a coordinated way, to deal with growing EV demand, particularly for those without access to off-street parking.  

What we’ve done so far

  • We've installed electric vehicle charge points at our Park and Ride sites. Electric vehicle owners travelling into Leicester can leave their car on charge whilst taking the bus from Birstall, Enderby, and Meynell’s Gorse. For more information please visit: Choose how you move - Park and Ride sites 

  • Secured almost £1million of Government’s first portion of Local electric vehicle infrastructure (LEVI) funding along with 4 other local authorities and Midlands Connect. It's expected that this support from Government will attract additional private sector investment, with cumulative funds being used to deliver around 100 public charging points across the county over the next 12-18 months.  Whilst specific charging point locations have yet to be determined, the focus will be on locations with the greatest ‘public need’ and this will centre on residential streets where there are high proportions of housing without access to private off- street parking.  Charging points will consist of a mix of standard and rapid chargers and be subject to local consultation and grid capacity checks. 

What we’re going to do

  • Actively seek further opportunities to secure electric vehicle funding from Government, which would allow us to install public charging points across the county.  
  • Continue to consider opportunities to introduce public charging points within our Country Parks. 
  • Work with district councils, businesses and other parties to help develop a countywide EV infrastructure strategy. This will define the role of the County Council and evaluate options for a public charging point network, in on and off-street locations - in residential areas, supermarkets, shopping centres and public car parks etc. 
  • Carry out a review of 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. 
  • Take opportunities to press the government to set out a national approach and standards for EV charging infrastructure, which is appropriately funded. 
 

Find a public charging point

Electric vehicle charging points can now be found in many public places - supermarkets, garages, town centres and at many workplaces.  

Zap-Map displays the locations and providers of the charging points, the type of charge, its availability and utilisation fee (if applicable). 

Find a public EV charging point using ZapMap 

What to do if you don’t have off-street parking

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 is covered by a cable cover or mat. Residents are also not permitted to install a private charge point on the street outside their home. 

As a Local Highway Authority we understand and recognise that this is not an ideal situation. Trailing cables can be detrimental to inclusive mobility, presenting a potential hazard for pedestrians and cyclists and can be a barrier to wheelchair and pushchair users.  

We currently follow government guidance on this matter, set out in Government’s EV infrastructure strategy. 

We will continue to investigate options to address this issue and are reviewing what other authorities have introduced or are currently piloting, to learn from their experiences. 

Further information

District Councils

By installing publicly available charge points in district run car parks, districts councils are also playing a key role in helping facilitate the roll out of EV charge points. Charge points have already been installed in several car parks and there are plans to install more.

For further information about each district, please see the following pages:

Government grants

The latest details on Government grant schemes for residents and businesses can be found on the government's Office for zero emission vehicles (OZEV) webpage.  

E-bikes and e-scooters 

For more information about electric bikes and scooters see our Choose how you move website. 

EV charging points in Leicester 

For information about charging points in Leicester, see Leicester City council's website.

General information  

For further information about electric vehicles, including the benefits of owning an EV, see the Energy saving trust (EST) website. 

Further reading