Energy chief calls for more electric vehicles across region

The chief executive of Bristol-based charity Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), Simon Roberts, said he expects to see a dramatic rise in the number of people using these types of vehicles in the West of England.

But said people had to change the way they charged their vehicles.

Mr Roberts was speaking at a scrutiny meeting of the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) on March 21 where members were discussing the authority’s energy strategy.

In March last year Weca received £50,000 from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to develop plans for a clean and affordable energy system across the region.

As part of this strategy the authority contracted CSE to help develop the strategy particularly looking at priority areas such as low and zero carbon electricity, decarbonisation of heat and electric vehicles.

At the meeting Mr Roberts said there was more than 3,000 electric vehicles in the West of England.

He added: “The continued roll-out of these vehicles is good but there are some issues with the way people charge them.

“Most people charge their cars at home which in some cases has melted the network grid leading to huge disruptions for their neighbours.”

Mr Roberts said part of the energy strategy would be to look at where charging points could be introduced across the region so car owners were encouraged to charge while at work.

Cllr Will Sandry, representing Bath and North East Somerset, said charging points had to be available for those living in terraced houses or flats and asked how housebuilders could be encouraged to do this.

Mr Roberts said it would be in their interest to include charging points.

“If they are not building developments with charging points then they will be out of date in five years,” he added.

He also said the public needed to move on from the petrol versus diesel debate as neither would be available to buy by 2030.