Successfully Implementing a Plug-in Electric Vehicle Infrastructure: a Technical Roadmap for Local Authorities and Their Strategic Partners

Plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) could help local authorities achieve a range of key policy objectives in promoting healthy, prosperous and sustainable communities. Such objectives might relate to improving the sustainability of local transport, or address air quality and emissions reduction targets.

Local authorities have taken a leading position in developing recharging infrastructure to support the wider adoption of EVs. However, successful EV schemes depend on targeting infrastructure to key locations, making well-informed investment decisions and establishing the right public/private partnerships. If not, authorities could find themselves faced with the cost of installing and maintaining charge points that are left unused. Further risks include public confusion about how to use the system, and negative perceptions of both electric mobility and local authority funding plans.

This authoritative and expert report provides consolidated strategic and technical guidance on how to successfully plan and implement an EV infrastructure scheme. Case studies from both UK and European sources provide practical information to provide real life insight into key planning and implementation themes. These include how to integrate EV recharging infrastructure provision with transport planning, network development and council fleet procurement, and how working with stakeholders is of importance in avoiding common pitfalls. The report also provides indicative development costs, with supporting guidance reviewing how to avoid the negative cost implications that some schemes have faced.

Looking to the future, the report reviews the different approaches to business models that need to be taken into account when developing safe, cost effective and interoperable recharging infrastructure with the goal of providing a seamless customer journey.

This essential intelligence will help local authorities to maximize their return on investment by optimizing their approach to EV infrastructure deployment and by ensuring any installed recharging infrastructure meets current technical requirements and provides sustainable service.

The report provides expert strategic and technical guidance on EV infrastructure deployment to local authority officers and managers in transport planning, environmental services and sustainable development. The information is also useful to councils collaborating in regional network development, and to their strategic partners, such as developers, retailers, leisure facilities, and charge point suppliers and installers.