Summary
Electric vehicles are an important part of the solution to climate change. They emit less carbon dioxide than traditional fossil fuel powered vehicles, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The use of electric vehicles can also help reduce air pollution, making people and places healthier.
To achieve the full potential of electric vehicles, it is essential to have a robust charging infrastructure in place. This infrastructure includes not only charging stations but also the necessary electrical grid upgrades to support them.
Key Outputs
By collaborating across Oxfordshire, local authorities and key external stakeholders will support existing programmes, including exploring community led approaches, to accelerate the roll out of EV charging points, particularly in rural areas.
This supports the following Pathways to a Zero Carbon Oxfordshire Route Map targets to have 120,000 electric cars and motorcycles and 15,000 electric LGVs registered within the county by 2030.
Current Status
A Joint strategy (Oxfordshire Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy) and Cross authority stakeholder working group (Oxfordshire EV Infrastructure Steering Group) are already in place. There are also several innovative EV infrastructure projects being delivered in partnership with the government’s Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles and Innovate UK. Examples of these projects include:
- OxGul-e, piloting dedicated pavement cable gullies to residents without off-street parking in both rural and urban locations from a home charge point unit at the kerbside to their vehicle, with minimal disruption to dedicated parking provision and impact on the historic built environment.
- The completed roll out of 20 “hubs” of fast charging points across publicly owned car parks, with overnight charging facilities and free parking to nearby residents, as well as top-up charging to visitors and commuters during the daytime.
Oxfordshire County Council are applying to the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) for Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) grant funding which will support the following next steps of this workstream:
- Working in partnership to use LEVI grant funding and private investment to meet predicted need for EV infrastructure and support decarbonisation of road transport, particularly in rural, car dependent communities.
- As part of the delivery of this funding, collaborate with town and parish councils on Community EV Microhubs to help reduce transport emissions in rural, car dependent areas.
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