Have your say on Devon's Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy

Devon residents are being invited to give their views on the county council's Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy.

This forms a major part of Devon County Council's larger strategy to reduce carbon emissions from on-road transportation, which accounts for 30 per cent of all the county's carbon emissions.

From 2030 the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles is expected to end - the draft Devon Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Strategy sets out how and where the council will need to intervene to deliver the needed infrastructure to increase the uptake of electric vehicles across the county.

The strategy is just one of a series of documents that will form part of the emerging Local Transport Plan.

The EV Charging Strategy, Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans, Devon's Bus Service Improvement Plan, and rail plans for Devon Metro are essential to ensure that Devon achieves net-zero by 2050, as outlined in the Devon Carbon Plan.

The strategy itself includes detail on numbers of current and predicted EV users, capacity, number and location of existing charging points, detail about current local and national policy as well as forecasts of future EV uptake and charge point demand.

Councillor Andrea Davis, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said: "There are no ifs or buts; if we want to reduce carbon emissions and ensure that Devon becomes net-zero we must decarbonise transport.

"This strategy will set out what we need to achieve and help us to unlock further funding from government for new electric charging infrastructure and will ensure that we are well placed to take advantage of new capital funding opportunities as they arise.

"We have almost completed delivering the first 80 car chargers in public carparks and we expect to be able to soon announce plans for more in the future. But this is just the start – we need many more."

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Cabinet member for Highway Management, added: "EVs will play a significant role in Devon's ability to meet emissions targets, but a key barrier to the uptake of EVs is the availability of charging infrastructure.

"Road users won't be willing to invest and make the change from petrol to EVs unless they can have confidence that there are plans in place to improve access to infrastructure and chargers are available where they need them.

"We have already made a good start, and by helping us with this consultation and by giving your views you can help us build on this."

You can give your views via Devon County Council's Have Your say Website.

Members of the public can sign up for a webinar on EV charging at 6pm tonight (November 22) and businesses can sign up for a webinar at 6pm on December 6. To register, please email the project team at [email protected].

Paper copies of the strategy and questionnaire will be available in every library.

For further information, you can write to: Transport Planning, Matford Offices, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD