Suffolk County Council, in partnership with charge point operator (CPO) Believ, will deliver around 6,000 new public electric vehicle (EV) charge points across the county to support residents make the transition to EVs.
The county council has made this project possible with a successful £5.3m bid to the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, which supports local authorities to plan and deliver charging infrastructure for residents without off-street parking. This roll-out uses a proportion of that funding along with over £16m funding from CPO, Believ.
Suffolk County Council is the first local authority in England to both award their LEVI main funding tender, and subsequently sign a contract with an operator.
Beginning in Summer 2025, thousands 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 said:
“25% of Suffolk households don’t have a driveway and park on their street. This 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. 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. The benefits of EV ownership go beyond helping residents and businesses to reduce their carbon emissions and their impact on climate change. It means together we can contribute to Suffolk’s Climate Emergency Plan [1], improving Suffolk’s air quality and enabling us to live healthier lives.”
Following a competitive procurement exercise, Believ will install, operate and maintain the charge points, which deliver 100% renewable energy.
Believ is able to install all speeds of charge points to accommodate the full breadth of resident and visitor charging needs.
Believ will install a minimum of 2,100 on-street charge points and over 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.
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, as we continue to support jobs, attract investment and secure our future as part of our Plan for Change.”
(Pic: Suffolk County Council)
