Council invests in infrastructure for electric vehicles
Electric vehicle charging points to charge up to 30 vehicles at the same time have been installed at Barnsley Council’s Smithies Depot, as part of zero carbon ambitions for the borough.
The 15 dual chargers are an important step towards reducing emissions from Barnsley Council’s vehicle fleet.
The council has already ordered 29 electric vehicles to replace 29 of its older diesel vehicles.
It is forecast this will result in an estimated reduction in exhaust emissions of 70 tonnes each year compared to the vehicles they replace.
It helps the council in its ambition for a net zero council by 2040, and a net zero carbon borough by 2045.
Barnsley Council is also installing EV chargers in a number of public carparks across the borough. These will all be available to residents who live nearby and want to charge their vehicles overnight.
The council is working with Sheffield City Region to install further chargers at key points on the borough’s road network. Through both programmes it is anticipated at least a further 30 dual chargers will be available for residents to use with installations starting in the New Year.
Cllr Chris Lamb, cabinet spokesman for place (environment and transportation) said: “Electric vehicles are already making sense as an investment to more and more people.
“The more charging points we have available the more attractive an electric vehicle becomes.
“We’re leading by example by replacing our fleet vehicles with electric vehicles wherever possible, and we hope that as people see these out and about it will further encourage them to make the switch.
“We know the biggest barrier to most people in choosing an electric vehicle is the ability to charge it.
“Many people who have their own driveways will be able to have a charge point fitted at home, and it may even be free of charge as part of the purchase of a new vehicle.
“That’s why our focus is on working to install points in car parks near our town centre, and in our other principal towns, where we have the biggest concentrations of homes without off-street parking.”
