More than 3,000 electric car chargers planned in 12-year strategy

More than 3,000 electric vehicle charging points will be installed across Birmingham under a 12-year strategy agreed by the city council's cabinet on 9 November.

The council says the roll-out could deliver around half of the reduction needed in emissions from cars and vans in the city by 2030, compared with 2020 levels.

Where the chargers will go

Charge points will be put along major routes for drivers to top up during journeys, at destinations such as shopping areas and attractions, and in residential areas, in the places where they will do most to cut greenhouse gases.

New technology will be used to help the 30 per cent of households in Birmingham that do not have off-street parking where they could install a charger of their own. In those areas, charge points could be built into kerbstones and lamp posts.

Charging points will also be installed at new transport hubs, stations and taxi drop-off areas, including those linked to HS2, which is expected to bring more visitors to the city.

Building on the first network

The strategy builds on the network of 394 fast and rapid chargers currently being rolled out across the city by the end of 2022, with the council's partner ESB Energy. That network is focused on the city centre, to help taxi drivers switch to electric vehicles.

Grants to help taxi and private hire drivers buy electric vehicles will also continue to be available from the government and from the Brum Breathes scheme linked to the Clean Air Zone.

Tackling the barriers

The strategy aims to tackle the barriers that stop people switching to electric vehicles, including access to charging and the cost of buying a car.

Councillor Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and environment, said transport accounts for a third of Birmingham's carbon dioxide emissions, 95 per cent of which comes from road transport.

"To reduce then eliminate transport emissions it is necessary to both reduce vehicle usage and ownership and shift the remaining vehicles to vehicles without emissions," he said. "So, I welcome this long-term strategy which has been modelled to future-proof the council's transport and environmental needs."

Not just about cars

The council stresses that electric cars are only part of the answer. The strategy sits within the Birmingham Transport Plan, which aims to reduce dependence on cars and encourage more people to walk, cycle and use public transport.

The council has set an ambition for Birmingham to reach net zero carbon by 2030. Its Clean Air Zone, which launched in June, is already charging the most polluting vehicles to enter the city centre, and the city's first hydrogen buses are being introduced.

Why it matters now

The strategy comes as world leaders meet in Glasgow for the COP26 climate summit, and as the government prepares to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030. With millions of drivers expected to switch to electric in the coming years, cities need to make sure there are enough chargers for people who cannot plug in at home. For Birmingham, the strategy sets out how it plans to meet that demand.