A new network of chargers for electric vehicles will be installed in rural locations across North Yorkshire after the county council was successful in a bid for £2.2m of government funding.
North Yorkshire County Council's proposal for 140 chargepoints at locations across each of the county’s seven boroughs and districts, won approval and will be financed from part of a £20m national pilot. The money will come from the government and industry.
It means each district - including Craven - will get 20 EV chargers.
The decision will be particularly welcomed by drivers without off-road parking who are unable to charge their vehicles at home.
Chargepoints will be installed alongside battery storage units which will be charged by solar panels, making them environmentally friendly.
Technology has been chosen which is also sympathetic to the rural locations where they will be installed.
The scheme is called the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme and in North Yorkshire it will see residential chargepoints in both on-street locations and larger petrol-station type charging hubs.
In addition to giving drivers without home chargers the confidence to switch to electric, the new network will help to reduce “range anxiety” among existing electric vehicle users by helping to ensure motorists are never far from a chargepoint.
Executive member for climate change, Cllr Greg White, said: “The switch to electric vehicles is necessary as North Yorkshire moves towards becoming carbon zero, but the rural nature of the county presents some significant challenges.
“We worked hard to come up with an innovative scheme which will begin to provide the answers motorists need if they are to have the confidence to go electric.
“The Government clearly saw the merit in our plans and we are delighted that we will now be able to press ahead with this work. It is an important step in our plans to ensure the county has an EV charging network which can meet everyone’s needs.”
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