A public consultation into plans for electric vehicle charging points across North Yorkshire looks set to be launched.

Senior councillors on North Yorkshire County Council’s executive are expected to agree next week to start the consultation this month.

It will lead to the creation of an electric vehicle charging infrastructure strategy to expand the infrastructure.

Latest figures show there are almost 4,000 electric vehicles registered in North Yorkshire, and 225 publicly available charge points, and take-up of electric vehicles is rising rapidly each year.

County council officers forecast that 3,161 charge points will be needed by 2030, of which half will need to be funded by the public sector at an estimated cost of £10.3 million.

Cllr Greg White, the council’s executive member for climate change, said:

“The ownership of electric vehicles in North Yorkshire is increasing quickly. This is encouraging – to achieve the county’s ambitious carbon zero target, for smaller vehicles, we need to make the switch to electric as close as possible to 2030.

“But North Yorkshire faces particular challenges, partly due to its rural nature and partly the lack of off-street parking in some villages and urban residential areas.

“We need to understand these needs and the challenges they present and be ready to meet them. That’s why we want to seek the input and feedback of the public to help to shape our strategy for the coming years.”

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The council has already secured more than £2 million from the government to finance the expansion of the county’s network of electric vehicle charging points.

In August, the authority revealed that the Harrogate district would get 10 chargers.

The chargers are part of the new Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme where the council and industry work in partnership.

It was previously suggested that Markington, Pateley Bridge and Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough could receive new chargepoints. However, this has yet to be confirmed.

North Yorkshire is set to receive 140 new chargepoints for electric vehicles under a scheme announced today by the Department for Transport.

The county’s seven districts, including Harrogate, will each get 20 chargers.

The chargepoints will installed at on-street locations and at larger petrol-station charging hubs.

It is hoped the move will give drivers without home chargers more confidence to switch to electric, and reduce ‘range anxiety’ among existing electric vehicle users by helping to ensure motorists are never far from a chargepoint.

North Yorkshire County Council was awarded the funding today.

The council previously suggested that Markington, Pateley Bridge and Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough could receive new chargepoints in the Harrogate district. But it has yet to confirm the locations after today’s news.

Councillor Greg White, the council’s executive member for climate change, welcomed the funding. He said:

“The switch to electric vehicles is necessary as North Yorkshire moves towards becoming carbon zero, but the rural nature of the county presents some significant challenges.

“We worked hard to come up with an innovate scheme which will begin to provide the answers motorists need if they are to have the confidence to go electric.”

The chargers are part of the new Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme where the council and industry work in partnership.

Companies are putting £200,000 towards the scheme.

The council will install more electric chargers (photo: Andrew Roberts/Unsplash)

Harrogate currently has six public charging points – though the type and number of charging points varies between each station.

Knaresborough currently has two charging points whilst Ripon has four.

National plans

North Yorkshire is one of the first nine areas to receive funding.

A total of £20 million has been allocated for the pilot scheme nationally.

The government plans to eventually invest £450 million into the scheme nationwide.

It intends to grow the network of charging points around the country with more than 1,000 new charging stations set to be installed.

Decarbonisation minister Trudy Harrison said:

“We want to expand and grow our world-leading network of EV chargepoints, working closely with industry and local government, making it even easier for those without driveways to charge their electric vehicles and support the switch to cleaner travel.”