£2.9m ERDF funding awarded to Cornwall Council to install 150 new electric vehicle charge points
More than 150 electric vehicle charge points will be installed across Cornwall after the Council secured funding to significantly boost access for residents.
The new units will be installed in a range of locations including Council car parks and offices, as well as in communities where there is currently limited charge point availability.
Having made a successful bid to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for £2.9m, the Council has committed a further £725,000 to cover the remaining cost.
It will bring the number of public charging points available in Cornwall to more than 360 by 2023.
Last week the Government announced plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 as part of the wider aims of its green industrial revolution. Improving access to charging points well before this date will provide Cornwall with the infrastructure to help residents make the switch to electric or hybrid vehicles and help cut carbon emissions.
Focus on reducing road transport emissions
Edwina Hannaford, Cornwall Council cabinet member for climate change, said: “With road transport accounting for 22% of Cornwall’s carbon footprint, reducing it needs to be a focus of our activity.
“We have to reduce the amount of miles we drive independently and the type of vehicles we use to get around. Travel in Cornwall isn’t as easy as in major cities where public transport is more readily available, but with electric vehicles becoming more widely available we have to increase the infrastructure to support them and help people make the switch.
“I hope to see more electric vehicles on Cornwall’s roads in the coming years to help Cornwall become Carbon Neutral by 2030. And this is an important step along the carbon neutral way to having enough charging points to make electric vehicles a credible sustainable choice in Cornwall. As we work to improve access to infrastructure, I would also like to see more financial incentives from industry and government to enable people to make the switch.”
Councillor Geoff Brown, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: “As a Council we are committed to giving people choices about how they travel which not only benefit their health, but the environment too. We have invested heavily in cycling and walking schemes which make it easier – and safer – for people to travel to work and for children to travel to school and our supported bus network features the latest generation of low emission vehicles.”