Bradford expects to expand EV charging network

City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council has announced their plans to proceed with the phased Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Grant Funded Programme to deliver additional electric vehicle infrastructure across the district. This will be delivered by an electric vehicle (EV) solutions contractor and will be a £3.1 million investment, at no cost of the council.

As Bradford Council is still seeking approval; an update on the progress of its grant funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will be announced in early February.

This follows research by the Transport for the North (TfN), which found that 10,600-11,980 chargepoints would be needed across West Yorkshire by 2030 to keep up with demand, 2,000 of these being needed in Bradford.

The LEVI scheme will select sites from across the district to build EV infrastructure, with priority to areas of high housing densities that do not already have off-street parking. The scheme will make sure design and procurement of the infrastructure with be equitable and accessible, and will consider price, ease of use, and will work with local communities to ensure the charging infrastructure meets the needs of their needs.

The LEVI scheme will provide 1,000 new chargepoints over 230 locations across the area by 2027, and will be fully funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and their LEVI Capability Fund.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s executive member for healthy people and places, said: “Extending the Electric Vehicle Charging infrastrucrure plays a key role in Bradford Council’s clean air and sustainability targets to improving air quality to achieve quantifiable health improvements across the district in addition to contributing to the achievement of the 2038 net zero targets of Bradford Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority through the reduction in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

“These projects will enable the Council to meet the future demand for electric vehicle charging points from those who live, work, and visit the district with no overall additional cost to the Council budgets."