Council installs 180 electric car charging points in Cornwall

The project had an original target of 150 charge points

Cornwall now has more than 180 electric vehicle (EV) charging points in 35 county council-owned car parks.

Cornwall Council said the current total of 184 charge points had helped bring the total number of charging units across Cornwall to more than 500.

It added its EV points were part of its Drive EV2 project to improve the county's EV charging infrastructure and boost access for residents.

The project had had an original target of 150 charge points.

The aim of the Drive EV2 Project was to extend Cornwall's charging network into more rural areas and locations with limited charging coverage.

Further points would go live this month, the council said.

'Must keep pace'

Current charge points at council car parks had been installed and were being operated by SWARCO Smart Charging, officials said.

Council cabinet transport portfolio holder Richard Pears said: "This project is about bolstering the existing network by installing units in areas with limited coverage - rural areas where the private sector is unlikely to install their own chargers."

Martyn Alvey, council cabinet portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said "road transport accounted for about a quarter of Cornwall's carbon emissions" but that the "number of electric vehicles on our roads is steadily increasing and the infrastructure must keep pace".

The project was receiving up to £3.6m of funding from the European Regional Development Fund, project leaders said.

Vehicles powered wholly by petrol and diesel are due stop being sold in the UK from 2030.