The Electric Vehicle charging network has continued to grow throughout 2022 to 2023. According to Department for Transport figures there are currently just over 2,000 electric vehicles registered in Brighton & Hove by March 2023.
Independent forecasts of Electric Vehicle uptake growth have been made by UK Power Networks and the central government which both indicate that by 2030 this could increase to 27,000 electric vehicles registered in Brighton & Hove.
In addition to residential charging the charging infrastructure in the city will also need to cater for increasing numbers of visitors requiring public charging as part of their stay. According to an independent analysis by ComparetheMarket, Brighton & Hove is one of the best-prepared areas for electric vehicle uptake in the UK based on the number of chargers per resident. In 2022 the city passed the milestone of having delivered 1 million kWh through the public charging network.
Independent research by Field Dynamics and Zap-Map shows that 77% of residents with no off-street parking, now live within a 5-minute walk of a public charger, one of the best rates in the country.
By the end of this reporting period our charging network consisted of 250 lamp column chargers, 55 fast chargers and 12 rapid chargers.
More sites are planned, and we have secured central government funding to create a small dedicated Electric Vehicle team. A further bid for £2.865 million has been submitted to enable us to embark on an ambitious expansion of our charging network over the next 3 years. If this bid is successful, we will be going out to tender for the phase two procurement of a minimum of 1,650 chargers added across the city. These chargers will be primarily for residents, who do not have access to off-street parking, and will consist of a mix of slow, fast, rapid charge points.
All planned sites for Electric Vehicle chargers are subject to consultation through the Traffic Regulation Order process and we continue to respond to the demand for more Electric Vehicle bays, not only by installing new charging points but by also creating dedicated and enforceable Electric Vehicle charging bays We are currently in the process of converting all 22 lamp column bays to enforceable Electric Vehicle bays; rapid and fast charging bays are already enforceable. Going forward, all Electric Vehicle bays will be for charging only.
Three rapid charging hubs have been installed on Ashton Rise, Preston Park Avenue and Victoria Road, with a further two sites at Elm Grove and Pankhurst Avenue planned. These hub sites provide dedicated bays for electric taxis, as well as EV only bays for general public use. We are now investigating additional sites across the city for rapid chargers, which will be for public use. Identifying sites for rapid chargers requires consultation with the energy power supplier UK Power Networks (UKPN) to understand the demands on the network to ensure that there is sufficient supply. Working closely with UKPN, we are planning the city’s future demands for Electric Vehicle charging to ensure that, as a Council, we can supply a sufficient public network of chargers. We will continue to work with UKPN and our current and future charging providers to understand how many rapid points we are able to provide across the city.
We have been working closely with local disabled motoring groups to ensure that the charging points. and their location on-street, are accessible by people with a disability. Our charge point operator also has to adhere to strict national policy to ensure that the design of the unit and its placement is compliant with new accessibility requirements.
In line with our policy to ensure that there is adequate provision for disabled parking across the City, we also want to ensure that disabled badge holders and their drivers have access to Electric Vehicle charging. Two charging bays, accessible for disabled people only are now available at Rottingdean Marine Cliffs car park. Further sites will be considered as part of our expansion plans.
The above graph shows the amount of chargers that have been installed since 2019/2020. The largest increase has been the installation of lamp post and fast chargers.
Map showing where EV chargers are installed across Brighton & Hove.
The above graph shows the amount of kilowatt hours delivered through EV charges in 2020 to 2021 compared to 2021 to 2022. The usage has increased by nearly 8 times compared to 2020 to 2021.
2021 to 2022 saw continued improvement in use of existing infrastructure, with the introduction of Rapid Chargers in November 2021 creating a surge in both demand and the ability to deliver high levels of kWh.
Actual kWh delivery has increased almost 7-fold compared to the first year, with a forecast of at least 1 million kWh (1gWh) being delivered in 2022 to 23.
| Year | kWh | Equivalent miles |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | 83,891 | 285,229 |
| 2021/22 | 553,413 | 1,881,604 |
| 2022/23 | 1,000,000 | 3,400,00 |
Our goal remains two-fold: to ensure high quality delivery and reliability of existing infrastructure while continuing a rolling program of infrastructure installation to ensure we remain ahead of demand from both residents but also a growing number of visitors.