The strategy outlines how the council’s allocation of Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding, which amounts to almost £2.7m, will be used to deliver a ‘comprehensive network’ of chargepoints in both public car parks and on street locations.

It confirms that 90% of the funding will be used to deliver a LEVI Capital Project that will see at least 1000 new sockets introduced between 2026 and 2030, with the remaining 10% being targeted towards providing cross-pavement charging solutions.

The strategy also commits to delivering over 60 new charging sockets between 2025 and 2026 as part of a LEVI Pilot Scheme.

According to the council, latest research has found that over 25% of vehicles in the city will be electric by 2030.

However, with 115 existing charging points installed at public locations across the city, the council has confirmed that a target of more than 800 sites must be reached within the next five years to satisfy rising demand.

A public consultation on the strategy revealed 81% of respondents backed the delivery plans, with a further 88% being in support of installing faster charging options in public car parks, and 66% saying they were in favour of introducing residential charging at on-street and car park locations.

Cllr Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration at Stoke-on-Trent City, said: ‘We’re taking a proactive approach to ensure the city’s EV charging network is ready as the demand for zero emission vehicles increase - and to make sure the network we put in place is accessible to all residents and businesses.’

Cllr Gordon-McCusker explained that underserved communities, areas with poor air quality, and places without off-street parking will be prioritised during the rollout of EV infrastructure.

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