Whether you’re considering an electric vehicle to help improve air quality in the city or you already have an EV to get around in a cleaner, greener way, we want to support residents to switch to using an electric vehicle.

For businesses, we want to implement more EV charging infrastructure to help make journeys more reliable for those that have converted to electric vehicles for business and staff vehicles.  

We want your views on how to improve infrastructure for EVs in Portsmouth. Your views will help shape our plans to create cleaner air for our city and improve the health of everyone who lives, works, visits and studies here.

Have your say on our draft Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy consultation

You have until midnight on Sunday 29 October.

These proposed changes are a part of our vision to transform how we travel within our city and the wider region.

You can also share your views on our Parking Strategy (EVs)

Have your say on our draft Parking Strategy consultation

Come and speak to us

We’ll be at locations across the city to speak to you about the consultation and hear your thoughts about what we need to consider about parking in Portsmouth. We’ll regularly update this page with details about where you can come and speak to us.

North End Library, PO2 9AX

Wednesday 27 September, 2pm-6pm

Cosham Library, PO6 3EB

Wednesday 4 October, 11am-5pm

Commercial Road, Portsmouth

Wednesday 11 October, 2pm-6pm

Gibson Centre, PO5 4BU

Thursday 12 October, 5.30pm-7.30pm

We’ll also host several smaller pop-up events during the consultation. If you see us, please come and have your say!

Overview

Since 2019 we have installed a network of nearly 100 on-street residential charge points, thanks to funding from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).

Our award-winning system uses a charging point housed inside a streetlamp column or slimline bollard, enabling you to safely charge your vehicle close to your home, on a pay-as-you-go basis. Portsmouth was one of the first local authorities in the UK to develop combined on-street charging from lamp columns, designated EV parking bays and ‘pay-as-you-go’ systems. You can find out more about our EV charge points here.

We’ll also aim to provide EV infrastructure for people visiting and working in the city, by expanding on our off-street electric vehicle infrastructure, as well as helping the council vehicle fleet convert to EVs.

We’ve also helped implement new EV charging infrastructure for key businesses in the city, including rapid chargers for drivers of taxis and private hire vehicles, as well as chargepoints for staff vehicles at locations like the Wightlink ferry terminal, and we’re looking to install more rapid chargers across the city.

We’re now working to decide how best to use £3.682m funding that has been allocated to Portsmouth, so we want your help to develop our strategy.

Objectives

A climate emergency was declared by the council in March 2019, and part of this includes making it easier for people to choose more sustainable transport options.  A large-scale switch from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles (EVs) will be essential to support the council’s decarbonisation aims.

We’ve been allocated funding from the government to assist with development of our EV Strategy, which aims to determine the best way to facilitate the switch to EVs.

Some of the draft objectives we’d like your input on include:

Develop our on-street residential chargepoint scheme

We want to add more chargepoints to extend the current provision for on street charging, enabling residents to safely charge their vehicles close to home.

More charging in public car parks

We’ll consider adding more charging infrastructure in car parks owned by the council in residential areas. These will make it easier for people to charge their vehicles while visiting shops or attractions in the area, whether visiting, working, or living in the area.

Public charging for fleet vehicles

We want to make it easier for business vehicles to charge quickly and efficiently in Portsmouth. These could be council vehicles or delivery vans, and we’ll also work alongside other initiatives like Enterprise Car Club to make it simpler for people to use electric vehicles.

Infrastructure for public transport

We want to help public transport operators, like bus companies, shift to electric vehicles where possible. To do this, we’ll look to provide the necessary infrastructure for charging, to help encourage wider use of sustainable transport.

Read the full summary of the draft Portsmouth electric vehicle infrastructure strategy

Have your say on our draft Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy consultation

What happens next?

Once we’ve collated all the feedback from the survey, we’ll take recommendations to a Transport decision meeting later this year. The draft strategy will then be created and published and will help us guide the delivery of the next phases of EV infrastructure for the benefit of those who live, work, and visit the city.