Consultation:
Devon Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy
The Devon Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy was adopted by Cabinet in January 2024. You can view the adopted strategy here.
The Devon Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy Public Consultation closed on Friday 16th December 2022. A report summarising the consultation responses has been prepared and can be viewed here.
If you were unable to attend a webinar or would like to watch the presentation again, it is available on YouTube.
Following the consultation, responses will be reviewed and used to inform amendments to the final strategy document.
Background
Devon County Council (DCC) declared a climate emergency in 2019 and helped to publish the Devon Carbon Plan which sets out what needs to be done for the region to meet the climate emergency challenge. The decarbonisation of transport is a crucial part of this response as the sector represents a large proportion of Devon’s emissions.
The transition to zero-emission vehicles, as well as a shift to public transport and active travel, are vital to achieving the Devon goal of 50% emission reduction by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050. Nevertheless, as a largely rural county, many Devon residents rely on cars and vans for their daily needs. Local authorities can therefore provide a supporting role in enabling and accelerating the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs).
A key barrier to the uptake of EVs is the availability of suitable charging infrastructure. The EV strategy reviews the policy context and provides a summary of current and forecast EV uptake and Electric Vehicle Charging Point (EVCP) demand to 2030 in Devon. It also considers potential delivery models and makes a number of recommendations based on the evidence and research.
The Devon Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy aims to help all residents and visitors overcome some of the barriers to EV adoption and increase access to suitable infrastructure.
The EV strategy will form part of a suite of documents that will feed into the emerging Local Transport Plan 4. The strategy will also be instrumental in leveraging funding from government for new electric charging infrastructure.
A summary of the strategy is detailed below, however, you can also access the:
Hard copies of the leaflet, full consultation documents, and questionnaire are also available at any library in Devon.
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Current position
At present, the number of ultra-low emission vehicles registered for the first time is rising across the UK and in Devon. Between 2016 and 2021, there was an 870% increase in the number of ULEVs registered in Devon.
In parallel to the growth in the uptake of vehicles, the EVCP market is evolving rapidly. The number of publicly accessible EVCPs in Devon has increased at a rapid rate and is expected to continue to increase in coming years.
As more households without off-street parking purchase or lease EVs, the need for publicly accessible chargepoints grows. National policy supports the role of the public sector in enabling the transition to EVs, particularly as the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is expected to end in 2030.
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EV uptake forecasting
A forecast of future EV uptake has been completed up to 2035, which shows that by 2033, EVs are expected to account for most of the fleet in Devon for the first time.
By 2030, there is a forecast need for 4,000 fast chargers and 600 rapid chargers in Devon, in a mid-range scenario.
While the private sector will provide a portion of the EVCP infrastructure required, DCC will intervene in areas where the private sector does not wish to invest, to achieve DCC’s policy goals and ensure suitable access for all.
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Recommendations
1. Accelerate chargepoint deployment to promote EV uptake
DCC will plan to provide EVCPs on the basis of a mid-range forecast scenario of 2,000 EVCPs by 2030 (this is the number of EVCPs requiring public sector intervention).
2. Focus on residential charging
As the private sector is expected to focus on other markets, DCC will focus on the provision of suitable residential charging, namely, in areas:
- with grid constraints
- where higher uptake of EVs is forecast
- without access to off-street parking
- where there is a gap in demand and supply
To achieve this, DCC will use a range of charging types. We will:
- provide on-street residential chargers
- test on-street residential pavement gullies
- deliver off-street residential hubs
3. Plug gaps in private-sector destination and intermediate charging provisions
DCC will actively identify sites where destination or en route charging (or both) could be installed to meet market need. DCC will then work with landowner, community, public sector and private sector stakeholders to facilitate the installation of rapid charging hubs.
4. Follow best practice design principles
EVCPs should be fast (7-22kW) for most locations, futureproofed and delivered in clusters.
5. Leverage private sector funding, but retain control through a concessionary approach with a private sector delivery partner
In this delivery model, EVCPs are funded or part funded by the public sector. Private sector partners operate and/or maintain the EVCPs for an agreed period of time. This enables DCC to package-up less profitable sites with more profitable ones.
6. Seek national funding to support EVCP aspirations
To supplement budgets, funding will be sought.
7. Leverage scale through Devon-wide funding applications and procurement
DCC will seek to collaborate with local districts and other strategic partners when applying for grant funding, procuring services and delivering the strategy.
8. Lead on local district co-ordination
DCC have a unique role in being able to co-ordinate district councils, and DCC will set up and lead local working groups.
9. Monitor EV uptake and charge point provision
DCC will develop a monitoring framework to annually track whether EV uptake and the roll out of EVCPs are aligned with forecasts.
10. Ensure EV design considers diverse user needs
DCC will focus on ensuring that charge points can be accessed by all and will use government accessibility guidance in its plan. Lessons learnt from Rapid Charging Devon have highlighted the need to maintain a minimum distance around EVCPs to create more space for pedestrians and to ensure that EVCPs are located on build outs where appropriate.
EVCP cable management must also be considered to avoid being a trip hazard for pedestrians.
11. Raise public awareness, including of the peer-to-peer charging network
DCC and partners will develop a communication strategy to drive EV uptake, including promoting the benefits of EVCPs to residents and businesses and novel solutions such as peer-to-peer charging where homeowners or businesses may choose to rent out their private charging facility.
12. Work with electricity network companies to improve capacity within the network
DCC will work with National Grid Distribution to enable better forward planning and remove potential barriers presented by a lack of information.
Chargepoint solution hierarchy
These recommendations are based on a preference for how residents and visitors will charge EVs in Devon. A chargepoint solution hierarchy has been developed, to identify the preferences for how EVs are charged.
Have your say
There are several ways to provide feedback, either as an individual, organisation or on behalf of a business. You can:
- complete the online questionnaire – paper copies of the questionnaire are available on request
- register and attend a webinar, where you can hear from project officer and have a chance to ask questions – email transportplanning@devon.gov.uk to register for either the:
- public webinar: 6pm Tuesday 22 November 2022
- businesses or organisations webinar: 6pm Tuesday 6 December 2022
- give feedback directly to a member of the project team by emailing in, see contact details below
Hard copies of the leaflet, full consultation documents, and questionnaire are also available at any library in Devon.
If you would like further information, please get in touch:
- Transport Planning, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD
- transportplanning@devon.gov.uk
- 0345 155 1004
You can read the transport planning privacy notice here.
Accessibility
We take accessibility seriously and recognise that some of the information presented in the files available on this page may not be fully accessible to someone using assistive technology such as a screen reader.
If you need guidance or an alternative format, email transportplanning@devon.gov.uk with details of any preferred format and the assistive technology you use.