Boost for electric vehicle use as Hampshire County Council unveils plan for 17,000 community chargers

This is part of a government-funded Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund - supported by significant private investment from Charge Point Operator, Believ - which is designed to meet the rising demand for places where drivers can recharge their electric vehicles. The Hampshire scheme forms part of a national strategy to expand neighbourhood provision, addressing the current challenges faced by households without access to private off-street parking such as driveways or garages. RAC data shows that a third (33%) of Hampshire residents don’t have access to off-street parking options, with that figure rising to 38% in Winchester and Rushmoor, and 39% in Basingstoke.

The County Council has secured £6.662 million from the Department for Transport – which has unlocked significant private capital investment totalling up to £90million, enabling the programme to be delivered at no cost to the County Council. This also places Hampshire currently as the largest Local Authority-led EV infrastructure project in England. Moreover, the Local Authority will receive a portion of income from the scheme once operational. 

Installations are expected to begin later this year, with around 500 charge points planned for delivery in the first year of the programme.

Councillor Kirsty North, Hampshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Lead for Universal Services, said: “This expansion of charge points significantly accelerates our efforts to meet rising demand from residents for convenient and reliable electric vehicle charging close to home. Importantly, I’m pleased that we can deliver this major roll out at no cost to the County Council. The scale of the scheme reflects our ambition to embrace new technology and support the transition to cleaner transport across Hampshire. Supporting more people to switch to EVs plays an important part of improving local air quality and reducing carbon emissions which is beneficial for everyone. We will now be working with Believ to support the delivery of this scheme, and we are encouraging residents to nominate locations where they would like to see charge points installed, so we can identify where need is greatest.”
Following a competitive procurement process, the County Council has awarded a 15-year concession contract to charge point operator Believ. The partnership will see the installation of around 17,000 new public charging sockets across the county – this represents one in ten properties without off-street parking. Rapid charge points will also be delivered which could include charging hubs for taxis and private hire vehicles. Believ will operate and maintain the new network.

Guy Bartlett, Believ, CEO added: “This partnership with Hampshire County Council enables the largest EV charging programme delivered through the LEVI scheme to date. By combining public funding with significant private capital, we can move faster, reach more communities and make charging more accessible for residents all across Hampshire.”

Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather, commented: "Drivers in Hampshire will benefit from 17,000 new public EV chargers, backed by a £6.6 million Government investment, giving residents the confidence to make the switch wherever they live or travel.
“We’re making it easier and cheaper to go electric – with a further £600 million to accelerate charge point rollout across the UK, and with our Electric Car Grant helping over 110,000 drivers save up to £3750 when buying a new EV.” 

To register a location for consideration in the scheme, visit www.hants.gov.uk/transport/electric-vehicles.