Clean Air Day 2023 sees consultation on electric vehicle charging network launch in Essex
New strategy aims to grow county’s electric vehicle charging network and improve air quality in Essex.
Essex County Council has launched a six-week consultation on a new Essex Electric Vehicle Charge Point Strategy. Residents and businesses are invited to take part from today, 15 June.
The launch of the consultation coincides with Clean Air Day, the UK’s largest air pollution campaign. It also runs alongside the council’s Safer, Greener, Healthier campaign which aims to encourage sustainable transport options, such as walking, cycling and bus travel.
Due to the rise in electric vehicles in Essex, the strategy aims to improve access to charging points and help improve air quality.
Electric vehicles play an important role in reducing emissions, improving air quality and achieving net zero goals.
The new strategy focuses on a simple vision of providing the ‘right charger in the right place’. It sets out a plan to ensure residents, businesses and visitors to Essex can access a high-quality electric vehicle charging network.
Councillor Lee Scott, Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance and Sustainable Transport said: “In Essex, around half of all CO2 emissions are from transport. Supporting the shift towards electric vehicles will be really important in achieving our net zero goals and improving air quality in the county.
“If the current trend continues, about 70 per cent of car and van CO2 emissions could be cut by 2040 through switching to electric vehicles. We cannot let infrastructure be a barrier to achieving that.
“We know transitioning to electric vehicles will only get us so far towards decarbonising road traffic. We are working hard to create a Safer, Greener and Healthier Essex by reducing the need to travel and encouraging people to shift their journeys to sustainable options.”
There are already 300 registered public charging points for electric vehicles in the county, but the demand is expected to grow significantly over the coming years.
Councillor Scott added: “We want Essex to lead the way and have set out a very simple vision, the right charger in the right place. We predict we will need up to 6,000 public charge points in the county by 2030.
"These charge points will mainly be delivered by the private sector, but we also have a really important role in setting out what we want the electric vehicle charging network to look like. This will ensure no part of the county is left behind.
“By 2030, we want residents, businesses, and visitors to have access to a reliable, easy-to-use, safe, and fairly priced network across Essex.“
The public consultation on the strategy is open until 30 July. For more information and to have your say, please visit our Essex Electric Vehicle Charge Point Strategy page.