More than £10m is being committed to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points across the Liverpool City Region, Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced.
The funding, secured by the Mayor and Combined Authority, will be used to improve and expand the region’s on-street charging network helping households without private driveways or off-street parking – including people living in apartments and terraced houses – to access charge points, helping to remove a potential barrier to using electric vehicles.
If plans are agreed at this week’s Combined Authority meeting, funds could also be used to install charge points at key locations like railway station car parks and to support an increase in the city region’s number of fast charging hubs – which can charge electric cars in as little as 20 minutes.
Currently there are around 600 publicly available charge points across the region, but the number will be set to markedly increase with this new funding boost.
The project is set to create a number of jobs and training opportunities in the region, with funding to employ an Electric Vehicle project team to work across all six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and the Wirral).
The Liverpool City Region was the first in the country to declare a climate emergency and Mayor Rotheram has set the region an ambitious target to be net zero carbon by 2040 – at least 10 years ahead of national government.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “We have a responsibility to cut our carbon emissions, rapidly decarbonise and, ultimately, to save our planet.
“I want the Liverpool City Region to be at the forefront of the green industrial revolution, leading the charge towards net zero, and taking advantage of the myriad of jobs, investment and opportunities that it will provide.
“A third of all emissions in our region come from transport, so increasing the use of electric vehicles will help our wider efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. I’m working to build a cleaner, more reliable public transport network but I appreciate there are a myriad of reasons as to why, for some, this simply isn’t the best way of getting around.
“Not only are we increasing the number of electric vehicle charging points across our region, but improving access for those households without driveways or off-street parking, which will make it much easier for people to switch to greener forms of transport.
“Alongside the investments we’re making to build a London-style transport network, including £70m in new and improved active travel infrastructure, we’re making our area the greenest place possible to get around.”
Working with local councils, the Combined Authority will draw up plans for how best to invest the funding, with more information on specific numbers and locations of charge points to follow.
