Electric vehicle (EV) charging points will appear in greater numbers and at strategic locations across Birmingham, as the council’s Cabinet accepted a 12-year electric vehicle strategy that will contribute to meeting its net zero target by 2030.
In total, 3,000 EV charge points will be rolled-out across Birmingham to reduce city emissions by 50% in 2030 compared to 2020 levels.
To eliminate transport emissions, Birmingham City Council said that it will be necessary to both reduce vehicle usage and ownership and shift the remaining transport to vehicles without emissions.
Complementing the current electric vehicle charging infrastructure of 394 charging points, the 12-year strategy aims to tackle the barriers that may prevent people from converting to electric vehicles, such as charge point accessibility and the expense of vehicle purchase.
Charging points will be deployed along major routes for in-trip charging at destinations, in residential areas and locations that will produce the greatest effect on reducing greenhouse gases by 2030.
Innovative technologies will also be implemented to support the 30% of households which do not have off-street parking, but where private charging points could be installed.
In these locations, charge points may be found embedded in kerbstones and lampposts.
Grants to purchase electric hackney carriages and private hire cars will also be made available from the government Office for Low Emission Vehicles and Brum Breathes, which supports the city’s Clean Air Zone.
The council said that the new HS2 rail project will enable more people to visit the city, so power points will also emerge in the new shared public transport hubs, stations and taxi drop-off areas.
Commenting, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, Councillor Waseem Zaffar said:
“Transport accounts for one third of Birmingham’s CO2 emissions of which 95% derives from road transport.
“To reduce then eliminate transport emissions, it is necessary to both reduce vehicle usage and ownership and shift the remaining vehicles to vehicles without emissions.
“So, I welcome this long-term strategy which has been modelled to future-proof the council’s transport and environmental needs.”
The 12-year electric vehicle strategy is integrated within the Birmingham Transport Plan.
This aligns with the council’s overall objective of investing in projects which reduce car dependency and increase active travel by improving cycling and walking infrastructure, as well as public transport provision.
The council is working with their procured charge point provider, ESB Energy, to install the EV chargers.
