Oxfordshire is set to boost its electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure with a £3.6 million government grant to triple the number of public chargepoints in the county by the end of 2025.
This initiative, known as OXLEVI, represents Oxfordshire’s largest-ever deployment of public EV charging infrastructure.
The funding, awarded through the Department for Transport’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) scheme, will act as seed money for a wider £10 million project. The remaining funds will come via private investment from EV chargepoint operators.
Oxfordshire County Council spearheaded the LEVI bid, working collaboratively with regional district councils. This collaborative approach aims to get “reliable, easy-to-use, contactless EV charging into rural and deprived areas, ensuring that nobody will be left behind in the transition to driving electric,” according to Councillor Pete Sudbury, deputy leader of Oxfordshire County Council. This focus on accessibility aims to remove a pivotal barrier to EV ownership, particularly for residents without access to off-street parking.
OXLEVI will prioritise the installation of standard 7kW chargers for residents who lack home charging facilities. The network will also include rapid chargers catering for residents, visitors, commuters, and commercial drivers and, with inclusivity a crucial consideration, designated charging bays are also planned for disabled drivers.
The project will focus on off-street locations, such as council car parks, building on the success of the Park and Charge initiative, which delivered 250 chargepoints across Oxfordshire between 2021 and 2022. However, some on-street installations are planned in areas with limited off-street parking options.
Consistent and collaborative
Councillor Anna Railton, Oxford City Council’s cabinet member for Zero Carbon Oxford, highlighted the importance of a unified approach: “This funding will help ensure that electric vehicle charging infrastructure is consistent across both Oxford city and county by aligning it under one countywide approach while securing the principles set out in the Oxford EV Infrastructure Strategy.”
Representatives from all district councils within Oxfordshire echoed this sentiment, emphasising the project’s potential to expand charging capacity in market towns and rural areas, which often face challenges due to a lack of off-street parking. The county council is also exploring a grant scheme to enable parish councils and community centres to establish “microhubs” with EV charging facilities.
The LEVI funding aligns with the national government’s commitment to accelerate the rollout of EV charging infrastructure. Anthony Browne, Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, stated, “This dedicated funding to local councils is part of our plan to ensure people can switch from a petrol or diesel car to an EV when they choose to do so.”
Highest UK EV adoption
Oxfordshire boasts the highest electric vehicle uptake rate in the UK, with 41% of new car sales being fully electric vehicles compared to the national average of 20%.
Oxfordshire County Council will shortly begin the tendering process to identify suppliers for the new charging network, and specific locations for the chargepoints will be announced later this year following feasibility studies.