Almost half a million pounds is set to be invested to improve infrastructure in the region to make charging Electric Vehicles (EVs) easier and cheaper.
Residents taking part in the project would benefit from lower charging costs, utilising their own domestic electricity supply.
£429,000 is available to help residents without off-street parking to charge their Electric Vehicles at home, without leaving cables lying across pavements. It would enable narrow channels to be cut into pavements for cables and then covered with lids, strips, or brushes, leaving the surface flat with the rest of the pavement.
The combined authority would work with local councils to finalise how it would work, with a range of different methods and models already trialled elsewhere in the country. The roll out would be expected from late summer/autumn 2026. Grants of up to £1,200 per charger would be available, with a resident contribution/annual cost to be confirmed.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “I promised to get the West moving, and get us out of the slow lane on transport. We have secured a record three-quarters of a billion pounds of new transport funding, which will mean fixed roads and bridges, better buses, more trains, and mass transit plans.
“Green electric buses are already rolling out across the West, cutting pollution and improving journeys – with even more on the way. As the government works to reduce the costs of private Electric Vehicles, through this grant we will be able to support more convenient charging infrastructure for local people across the region.”