Tens of thousands of electric cars set to roll onto Black Country roads by 2030
The Black Country is on the brink of an electric vehicle (EV) revolution – with an estimated 167,527 environmentally friendly cars expected to be on the roads by 2030, according to recent figures.
Midlands Connect, which researches and develops environmental transport projects, says the boom in EVs across the region will mean 3,575 new charging points will be needed to keep pace with the increase.
The cost of installing the public charging points across each council is estimated to be around £131 million.
Councillor Steve Evans said: “Electric vehicles are a growing part of transport in our city.
"They will be crucial in helping the council meet our climate targets and attract inward investment into the area to secure jobs, whilst also helping to reduce local air pollution.
“By 2035, the government is looking to ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles and the city needs to be ready. We’ve worked closely with Black Country partners to devise a strategy and prepare the city for this ban.
“We are committed to supporting all Wulfrunians in this transition by providing enough charging points, information and support, so that nobody is left behind,” he added.
Steve Bradley, an organic gardener and EV owner who lives in Wolverhampton, said: “We have been an all-EV household for a couple of years – mine is a second-hand Nissan Leaf.
“It’s a positive environmental choice for those of us who need cars for work, and myself and my wife, who has a Renault Zoe, were very happy to go from two fossil-fuel vehicles to this cleaner option, within the space of a month.
“Obviously the initial outlay is quite expensive, but you save loads on maintenance and, of course, on fuel costs. The charging network certainly needs to improve, but we have always managed to get from A to B without too much trouble.”
Councillor Ian Brookfield, leader of Wolverhampton Council, said: “We’ve been working hard to decarbonise the transport network in Wolverhampton, and boosting the uptake of electric vehicles is an important step in reaching our goals.
“While we’ve made great progress over the past few years, increasing charging points by 68 per cent in the last year alone, more financial support from government would help us to accelerate the roll out and support local people to make the switch to electric.
“This is especially important for residents without off-road parking and those who are visiting, as they must be able to rely on the public charging network rather than charging at home.”
Wolverhampton resident Carol Hyatt, organiser of Penn Climate Action Group, added: “Transport is responsible for the highest emissions of greenhouse gases in the UK, as well as much of our roadside air pollution.
“We desperately need cleaner vehicle technology to reduce the impact emissions have on the environment. I find this latest news very encouraging but we still need to focus on doing even more.”
Midlands Connect CEO Maria Machancoses said: “This area started the industrial revolution and we are trying to make it our mission to transform the Midlands into the home of the green industrial revolution.”
A conference was held yesterday which brought together academics, politicians and policy-makers to tackle the challenges and opportunities facing the Electric Vehicle industry.
