Public electric vehicle chargepoint network planned across West Sussex

West Sussex County Council says it is working with Mid Sussex District Council and other district and borough councils in the county to launch the project.

The county council announced its plans after it was revealed last week that Mid Sussex is failing to keep pace with the national rollout of electric vehicle chargepoints.

According to the Department for Transport, there were 34 public charging points in Mid Sussex at the start of January. That is a rate of 23 per 100,000 people, lower than the UK averagte of 31.

A spokesperson for West Sussex County Council said: “The county council adopted an EV Strategy in December 2019 which includes commitments to install chargepoints to enable people to switch to electric vehicles across the county.

“Within the strategy is a commitment to enable a comprehensive and cohesive charging solution on community land, including our own land and highway.

“We are working in partnership with six of the seven district and borough councils across the county, including Mid Sussex to enable a public chargepoint network across the county.

“Any landowner can install a chargepoint on their land. To find current chargepoints and understand who operates them, visit: https://www.zap-map.com/live/

“We are currently working towards having a market based supplier in place to work with us by the end of this year.

“We are keen that any network installed will focus on areas where people do not have off road parking, and we are very keen to understand and reflect local demand.

“It would be helpful if people could register their interest in a chargepoint, and the location via our online form here:

https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/travel-and-public-transport/travelwise-sustainable-transport/electric-vehicles/#register-your-interest-in-a-charging-point

“We will be using any information we collect to inform early network planning discussions.”