Back
Investing in EV infrastructure

A series of measures are being put in place to encourage the use of electric vehicles in the city.

It has been widely documented that emissions produced from both diesel and petrol engines contribute significantly to air pollution in the UK. In fact, road traffic is responsible for around 80% of NO2measured at the roadside.

The measures that will be put in place will transform the Council's fleet of vehicles and put the necessary infrastructure in place to make travel by electric car viable to residents and visitors in the Welsh Capital.

The measures include:

  • 19 on-street charging points have been installed on the highway in some of the inner city suburbs and will be operational shortly. The locations of these chargers have been determined through requests from residents in these areas. SWARCO eConnect are operating the charge points.
  • Up to ninety council vehicles will be converted to electric power by 2021, with plans to convert the remaining smaller fleet in a second phase.
  • Charging points will be installed to support this new fleet at Council premises including County Hall, Lamby Way and Coleridge Road with further charging points added when required.
  • A pilot scheme has been secured in partnership with Engenie, to provide a small number of rapid charging facilities in key locations in the City Centre and Cardiff Bay.
  • New planning guidance has been prepared to encourage developers to install electric vehicle charging points in new residential areas and commercial developments.
  • The council is working with taxi and bus companies in the city to encourage and support their own actions to reduce emissions.
  • A commitment that the Council will develop a longer-term delivery plan, in partnership with other interested parties, to ensure that the provision of charging infrastructure in the city keeps up with growing demand.

Councillor Michael Michael, Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Recycling and Environment, said:

"It has been widely documented that the Council will deliver a series of measures to improve air quality in the city. As part of this, we intend to power our own fleet through sustainable fuel, moving away from the reliance on fossil fuels.

"We have used grant funds to kick start the provision of EV charging infrastructure for the public, so that we can ensure purchasing an electric vehicle is a viable option.

"We are doing this through a variety of measures, including 19 publically accessible charging points in some of our inner city suburbs, as well as working with the private sector to deliver rapid charging points at key locations.

"We intend to continue to bid for funding, year on year, to further increase the number of electric charging points on the highway.

"To bring about change in the quickest time possible, it is essential that electric charging points are installed in new residential and commercial developments and this is why we are working with developers to give clear guidance on future planning applications."