Wirral Council launches free on-street EV charging trial
Wirral Council has installed more than 40 free on-street electric vehicle chargers as part of a trial across the area.
The EV chargers will be free to use for the first 12 months, and the Council said they chargepoints will be concentrated around the Hoylake, Wallasey and Woodchurch areas of the borough. Wirral Council said it aims to make it easier for EV owners to charge their vehicles whilst also encouraging others to switch to electric.
Cllr Liz Grey, chair of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport committee for Wirral Council, said: “While electric vehicles are not the primary solution to climate emergency issues, it is important that we do what we can to encourage those who have to travel by car to do so without causing as much air pollution or GHG emissions.
“This pilot project takes us a step closer in that regard. A big part of our climate emergency action plan is to work towards a future with far more active travel and better public transport.”
Wirral Council had previously committed to reducing its emissions following the declaration of a ‘climate emergency’ in 2019. The trial of the charging points is part of a £100,000 scheme to provide a greener network that residents need to reduce their emissions.
The on-street chargers have been placed on 17 different roads across the region, and the locations of the units were determined by based on a survey carried out in 2019 that asked residents where they would most like to see electric vehicle charging points.
The pilot scheme has been funded by Wirral Council and the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles. All future electric vehicle charging schemes will be subject to securing funding.
