Sustainable Warwickshire

Projections, published by Midlands Connect, are predicting to rise from 11,552 EVs today to 83,518 on its roads by the end of 2030.

The new research forecasts have shown Warwickshire requires a further 4,536 public charging points by 2030 to support the increase in EV use over the next decade, a significant increase from the 401 chargers existing across the region today. With 1,312 public chargers already existing in Coventry, the city is on track for an EV boom. In fact by the end of April Coventry will have over 2,000 chargers operational – that’s ahead of predicted demand. 

Estimates suggest that by 2030, the Midlands could be home to over 2 million EVs, with just under 1 in 3 (32.5%) vehicles being electric. To support this growing number of EVs, 58,997 new public EV charging points must be installed across the Midlands by the end of the decade. This means installing 27 new EVCPs every day, 194 per week, and 9,832 per year until the end of 2030.

The work is part of the Sub-national Transport Body’s efforts to support Local Authorities in increasing EV charger roll-out. In September 2023, it partnered with 14 Local Authorities for a total of £40.3mil of Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to be part of consortium approach, accounting for ~61% of the regions £66.5mil funding.

The figures were announced at Midlands Connect’s EV Conference today, which brought together senior leaders and policymakers to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the Electric Vehicle industry. Discussions included hearing from firms manufacturing EVs; electrifying fleets of vehicles and ensuring that electrified transport is accessible to everyone.

Councillor Jan Matecki, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning said: “It’s great news that the Coventry and Warwickshire area is on track to meet the anticipated surge in electric vehicles.

“In Warwickshire, we're working hard to identify suitable sites for public charge points throughout the county. Through close collaboration with our partners in the district and borough councils, and engagement directly with residents, we will deliver more charging infrastructure that will work for current and future drivers of electric vehicles. We want to encourage the switch to more sustainable forms of transport.

“Our partnership with the Midlands Connect EV consortium ensures that Warwickshire is at the heart of delivering a charging network across the midlands that meets the growing needs of our residents and supports our goals of delivering a cleaner, greener Warwickshire, sustainable now, and for future generations.”

Commenting on the research, Midlands Connect’s CEO, Maria Machancoses, said: “It’s clear Coventry and Warwickshire is still on the brink of a boom in Electric Vehicles, that could see more than 83,000 electric cars on its streets by the end of decade.

“Local Authorities across the Midlands are doing a great job to roll out charging points, but they cannot do this alone. We’re already working with Local Authorities to support their work and help secure EV infrastructure funding from Government.

“Our conference allowed us to bring together many different aspects of the EV industry, including Government, to discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead. We want to make the Midlands the home of the green industrial revolution.”

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council said: “We have made great strides in delivering the largest network of public EV charge points in the UK outside London, but we are, of course, working to do more to ensure we are set up to meet future demand.

“The development of this network shows our commitment to de-carbonise our transport system and alongside other initiatives including All Electric Bus City, our plans for Coventry Very Light Rail, the creation of a network of segregated cycleways and our ambition for a gigafactory shows just how much there is to do.  We will also continue to work with partners such as Midlands Connect to make sure we continue to lead in this area.”

Warwickshire County Council is encouraging residents to suggest locations for EV charging points and anyone can make a location suggestion by visiting  Request a new electric charging point – Warwickshire County Council or calling 01926 410 410.

The EV pages of the Warwickshire County Council website can be found here with lots of useful information: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/electric-vehicles

The location of all available charge points in Warwickshire and beyond is available on: Zap Map

For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is facing the challenges of the climate change emergency, visit: https://www.warwickshireclimateemergency.org.uk/

To sign-up to the Warwickshire County Council climate change and sustainability newsletter, visit: www.eepurl.com/hrk-zf