New infrastructure strategy for electric vehicles

At the next Lancashire County Council Cabinet meeting on Thursday (6 July), Councillors will discuss the strategy, which aims to provide a clear direction and support the needs of an anticipated growth in electric vehicle usage.

In November 2020, the UK Government announced the end of the sale of new pure petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, with the phasing out of remaining emissions-generating cars and vans such as plug-in hybrids taking place by 2035. It is estimated that more than a third of all vehicles in Lancashire will be electric by 2030.

County Councillor Shaun Turner, cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: "The strategy aims to deliver accessible charging points to meet the expected growth in electric vehicle usage and demand from residents, businesses, and visitors, particularly those without access to off-street charging.

"This includes identifying the optimal locations for chargepoints. Our modelling shows that there will be a need for around 6,600 chargepoints throughout Lancashire by 2030 as the latest figures estimate that there will be more than 240,000 electric vehicles in Lancashire by that date, representing 36% of all cars and vans.

"Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we face as a society and taking steps towards greener travel is one of the ways that we can take action to help the environment. Encouraging the use of electric vehicles is helping to make Lancashire greener."