Midlands EV charging network will more than double as 13 councils secure £40 million in funding for 16,000 new chargers.
The funding, secured through Midlands Connect via the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, will significantly expand the region’s current network of 10,000 public charging devices. The rollout will focus on providing on-street charging options for drivers without off-street parking, including those in smaller towns and rural areas.
Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, emphasized the importance of accessible charging infrastructure.
“Making charging as seamless and as easy as possible is crucial to making the switch to electric a success and rolling out over 16,000 chargers across the Midlands will make driving an EV cheaper and easier, especially for those without a driveway,” Greenwood said.
“Electric vehicles will power growth, cut emissions and improve lives in the Midlands and beyond as we continue to deliver our Plan for Change.”
The expansion aims to address charging access inequality across the region by ensuring EV drivers can find charging options close to their homes regardless of location.
Maria Machancoses, CEO of Midlands Connect, called the funding a “significant boost” for the region’s EV infrastructure.
“This is a great step in moving towards a reliable electric vehicle charging infrastructure network across the Midlands, which will become increasingly important as we move closer to the 2035 ban on diesel and petrol vehicles,” Machancoses said.
Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, Councillor Marc Bayliss, noted that the authority hopes the new chargers will both support existing EV drivers and encourage more motorists to make the switch to electric.
This regional expansion comes as Zapmap data shows the UK has now surpassed 75,000 public EV chargers nationwide. The Department for Transport also recently announced the installation of more than 1,400 chargepoints at schools and over 59,000 at offices and workplaces throughout the country.
