Wiltshire Council plans 2,000 new EV chargers at below-market rates

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 06:01 · Archive

Wiltshire Council is backing up to 2,000 new EV chargers across 107 communities through a £10 million government-funded scheme.

Wiltshire Council's cabinet has selected a private operator to install public charging points through a £10 million government-backed scheme. Up to 2,000 chargers will be rolled out across 107 communities in the county.

Cllr Martin Smith, the council's cabinet member for transport and highways, said charges would be kept below market average. He told councillors: 'Through controls they will be charged at a below market average price.' He added that prices would be 'competitive compared to many other privately offered charge points, but nothing like the superfast chargers that you get on the motorways and in other locations.'

Cllr Smith said the council was 'very mindful' that prices needed to be set at a level which encouraged people to make the switch to electric vehicles. His comments followed concerns raised by Cllr Jon Hubbard, himself an EV owner, about the cost difference between home charging and public chargers.

Cllr Hubbard said driving an EV was economically favourable when charging at home but 'most definitely not' when relying on public chargers. He noted that even with diesel approaching £2 a litre, it had only recently become more expensive than running an EV solely on public chargers, given the mark-up on electricity at those points.

The scheme aims to address barriers to EV adoption by making public charging more affordable and accessible across the county.

How it is being reported

• 'Eye-watering' EV charging will not come to Wiltshire - and here's whyElectric vehicle drivers have been promised that hundreds of new council-backed charging points will not come with the eye-watering prices sometimes found at public chargers.Gazette & Herald · 14 Oct, 05:00
• 'Eye-watering' EV charging will not come to Wiltshire - and here's whyElectric vehicle drivers have been promised that hundreds of new council-backed charging points will not come with the eye-watering prices sometimes found at public chargers.Swindon Advertiser · 14 Oct, 05:00
• 'Eye-watering' EV charging will not come to Wiltshire - and here's whyElectric vehicle drivers have been promised that hundreds of new council-backed charging points will not come with the eye-watering prices sometimes found at public chargers.Wiltshire Times · 14 Oct, 05:00
• Wiltshire to get 2,000 new EV chargers with prices kept below market averageWiltshire drivers promised cheaper public EV charging as council backs up to 2,000 new chargers through a £10m LEVI-funded scheme across 107 communities.Salisbury Journal · 12 Oct, 10:56

In this story: Wiltshire Council · Martin Smith · Jon Hubbard · Wiltshire

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