Chargepoint operator, Wenea, have been procured to help with the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot project. Please see more about this below.
EV market | Chargepoints | Our role | Charging Strategy | LEVI projects | FAQs
The market for electric vehicles
With a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars nationally being postponed until 2035 by the government, the uptake of EV is forecast to rapidly increase over the next decade.
Just over 10 years ago there were around 5,000 EV registered in the UK, now there are approximately 1,600,000 fully electric cars and a further 800,000 plug-in hybrids on the UK's roads.
EV chargepoints
At present, most of the UK’s charging demand is met through home charging (on private driveways, garages, or allocated off-street spaces), however, publicly accessible charging infrastructure is now becoming increasingly necessary to enable wider driver choice in their next vehicle.
Government’s UK electric vehicle infrastructure strategy | GOV.UK, published in March 2022, predicts that a minimum of 300,000 public chargepoints will be needed nationally by 2030 to meet the expected demand - currently there are around 80,000.
Chargepoints near you
EV chargepoints 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 chargepoints, the type of charger, its availability, and utilisation fee (if applicable).
Find a public EV chargepoint using ZapMap
Our role in providing charging infrastructure in Leicestershire
Government expects upper tier local authorities to play a part in expanding the network of public chargepoints, addressing gaps in provision currently being provided by the private sector.
We are therefore following the progress of the EV market closely and, wherever possible, actively seeking to secure funding from government to support our residents with suitable public chargepoints where they are needed most in order to help increase the choice of vehicles available to residents.
Nevertheless, this is a new and very challenging area for local authorities, with 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.
Our other initiatives to support and expand charging infrastructure
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 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
For information about chargepoints in Leicester, see the Leicester City Council's website
Our Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy
On Friday 13 September 2024, Cabinet approved the County Council’s Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy (EVCS).
The EVCS is an important first step in facilitating the roll out of EV charging infrastructure.
It focuses on public EV charging provision and its ongoing delivery. It also describes the roles of other organisations, partners, and stakeholders such as Chargepoint Operators (CPOs) and Electricity Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) who we'll need to work with.
The approved EVCS focuses on the delivery of public on-street chargepoints in residential areas, which will be available to all, particularly those households with limited off-street parking.
The EV market is rapidly evolving and therefore, it is likely that the strategy will need to be reviewed and refreshed after two years in light of any lessons we learn from our EV chargepoint delivery projects.
Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) projects
The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund is a UK government initiative aimed at accelerating the rollout of public EV charging infrastructure, particularly in residential areas where off-street parking is limited.
As part of this initiative, the LEVI Projects within Leicestershire aim to give residents without access to private driveways greater choice when choosing their next vehicle by making electric options more accessible through providing public charging solutions.
In accordance with government’s LEVI funding criteria and the scope of our adopted EV Charging Strategy, the focus of the LEVI projects is on chargepoints:
- within the public highway, i.e. residential streets, estates, high streets, and main roads
- 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 (7.4kW) for overnight charging, and a smaller number of Fast and Rapid chargers (47kW+) will also be considered across the county where appropriate
The locations identified by residents and the feedback we received from our public engagement exercise will feed into our chargepoint delivery plans for both LEVI projects, where these align with LEVI funding criteria, and the scope of our adopted EV Charging Strategy.
Pilot project - installing public charge points in the most populated settlements
Working with Midlands Connect and 4 other local authorities, we have received approximately £220,000 towards the installation of public charge points in Leicestershire.
Chargepoint operator Wenea have been appointed to deliver new charge points at on-street locations across the county as part of the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot project.
Wenea will provide a complete charging system, starting from network design and deployment through to operation of the charging infrastructure. Wenea has responsibility for installing the asset and will own and maintain the asset once installed. It will be the first public on-street EV charging infrastructure available in Leicestershire.
You can find out more from the chargepoint operator on their dedicated project webpage | Wenea. You can also contact Wenea via their 24-hour UK customer service telephone number 0800 208 8897, via email at info@wenea.com or via their general website | Wenea.
The focus of locations is 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 charge points will be lower powered (7.4kw) with a small number of rapid charge points (47kW+).
The project’s main aim is making EV charging accessible to a wider range of residents within the county, especially to those without access to off-street parking. Charge points will be strategically placed to best serve the needs of local communities and meet growing demand, based on feedback from residents and careful research.
A roll-out of charge points is planned from 2025 onwards, with more detail on location to be released closer to the time.
Find out more about the Major step forward for Leicestershire's electric vehicle charging network.
Full project - expanding the number of chargepoints across the entire county
Working with Midlands Connect and 3 other local authorities, we have received approximately £3,151,000 towards the installation of public charge points in Leicestershire.
We are currently concluding the procurement stages of this project with the consortium of local authorities (supported by Midlands Connect) and will provide an update in due course.
The full project will build on the pilot project and expand the number of public EV chargepoints across the county.
LEVI frequently asked questions
We have produced the following LEVI frequently asked questions to provide answers in relation to the LEVI projects.
Why do we need to install these charge points?
Residents may wish to switch to an electric vehicle, but as chargepoints for home charging are typically installed on private drives, it is difficult for residents to own an electric vehicle if they do not access to a private driveway.
Why do we need to start installing them now?
The aim of the LEVI projects is to give residents without access to off street parking an equal opportunity to own an Electric Vehicle. As electric vehicle adoption continues to rise, we are prioritising the delivery of the LEVI projects to help ensure residents have access to chargepoints at suitable on-street parking locations near their homes.
What will the chargers and the bay markings look like?
Detailed site plans and a standard picture will be sent within letters to nearby residents and businesses.
Will chargepoints reduce existing on street parking spaces in the area they are installed?
Chargepoints will not reduce the number of parking spaces, nor will they impact existing Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs). Users of the chargepoints must comply with any existing TROs in effect. The parking bays where chargepoints are installed will remain available to all vehicles, including petrol and diesel, when not in use for charging.
What happens if residents can’t access chargepoints due to the presence of parked vehicles?
Initially, under the LEVI projects, parking spaces adjacent to chargepoints will not be reserved for electric vehicles only.
However, chargepoint usage will be monitored over time, and if residents with electric vehicles consistently face difficulties accessing chargepoints due to high parking demand, adjustments to parking provision may need to be considered.
Nevertheless, any future proposed changes would be subject to formal public and stakeholder consultation before implementation.
District councils
By installing publicly available chargepoints in district-run car parks, districts councils are also playing a key role in helping facilitate the roll out of EV chargepoints. Chargepoints have already been installed in several car parks and there are plans to install more.
Find further information about each district:
Chargepoints - frequently asked questions
I have a private driveway - how do I install a home chargepoint?
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 Find an electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint installer | GOV.UK for the government's approved list of 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 must not:
- 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.
I park on-street - can I trail a charging cable over the pavement between my property and EV?
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, 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.
Government announced the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant | GOV.UK for households with on-street parking.
Government have also recently released their guidance for Cross-pavement solutions for charging electric vehicles | GOV.UK. Officers are now reviewing this guidance and further updates will be provided here.
What government grants are available for private chargepoint installation?
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
What is the difference between the types of chargepoints?
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 around 10-25 miles of range per hour of charging.
- Rapid chargepoints have a power output of around 43kw - 149kw and typically charge a typical electric vehicle (that is compatible) in an estimated 2-6 hours and add up to 90 miles of range per hour of charging.
- Ultra rapid chargepoints generally have a power output over 150kW and can generally charge a compatible EV from 0 – 80% in less than an hour.