Backed by £5.3m from the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, as well as £16m from EV chargepoint operator, Believ, the council initiative aims to provide roughly 6,000 chargepoints at on-street locations and in car parks.

In partnership with Believ, the first site has been installed in Ipswich and includes stations which facilitate long-stay or overnight charging.

It also features PAS 1899 compliant infrastructure to ensure the accessibility of chargepoints.

The move is part of the council’s Plug in Suffolk Project, which was rolled out in 2018 and is designed to ‘accelerate the county’s transition to sustainable transport’ by ensuring residents can always walk or wheel to a chargepoint in 5–10-minutes.

It will also see Believ install air quality sensors to boost air quality and help reduce transport-related emissions across the county.

Cllr Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reorganisation and NSIPs, explained that the Ipswich site installation is a ‘significant milestone for the Plug in Suffolk project’.

He said: ‘By working with Believ, we’re able to rapidly expand public charging infrastructure, helping more people who wish to do so make the switch to electric.

‘We’re doing this in a measured way, ensuring no on-street parking is lost and not imposing any restrictions – meaning, whatever car they drive, residents can continue to park outside their homes.

‘We have been receiving communications from residents who are excited about the installation of charge points outside of their homes, telling us that this infrastructure is going to help them and their neighbours make the move to more sustainable transport.’

Guy Bartlett, CEO at Believ, added: ‘We’re proud to be working with Suffolk County Council on a project that supports its climate goals.

‘By making EV charging infrastructure more accessible, and therefore the EV switch easier, it benefits the residents across the county. This is a key step towards ensuring no community is left behind in the transition to electric mobility.’

With plans to complete finish the first installs by the end of 2026, Believ aims to deliver a minimum of 2,100 on-street chargepoints and more than 400 car park chargepoints in total.

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