Drivers in Hampshire are set to benefit from around 17,000 new electric vehicle charge points, in what is being billed as the largest deal of its kind delivered through the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund.
Hampshire County Council has partnered with charge point operator Believ to roll out 17,180 public chargers across the county, focused on the neighbourhoods where people cannot charge at home because they have no driveway or off-street parking. RAC data shows a third of Hampshire residents lack off-street parking, rising to nearly 40% in parts of Winchester, Rushmoor and Basingstoke.
Most of the new units will be 22kW chargers suited to long-stay and overnight residential charging, with the aim of placing a charge point within a five-minute walk of homes wherever possible. More than 800 rapid chargers of 50kW or higher will also be installed for quicker top-ups.
On the money, the council has secured £6.662m from the Department for Transport, which has in turn unlocked private investment of up to £90m from Believ — meaning the scheme is delivered at no cost to the council itself. Believ’s chief executive Guy Bartlett said combining public funding with private capital let the rollout move faster and reach more communities, while councillor Kirsty North said reliable, convenient charging close to home was essential as more people switch to EVs. Residents are being encouraged to nominate locations where they would like chargers installed.
For drivers weighing up an electric vehicle, the lack of home charging has long been the sticking point — so a large-scale push into on-street, residential charging is exactly the kind of infrastructure that makes the switch more realistic for those without a driveway.
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