Electric cars: councils and private sector unite to provide more EV charging points in Lancaster and Morecambe

By 2030, it is forecast that 244,728 electric vehicles will be registered in the county – 36 % of all cars and vans.

“We need concerted action on many fronts to achieve a greener and healthier environment and to reduce carbon emissions. The switch to electric vehicles is just one of the ways we can achieve this aim, “ said Coun Gina Dowding, Lancaster City Council’s cabinet member for climate action.

But one current concern of motorists pondering whether to go electric is the amount of charging points.

Lancaster City Council operates 3,470 off street parking places with 26 bays used for electric charging points.

Council decisions about where charging points are located are based on the availability of an adequate power supply, proximity to residential areas and the capacity to absorb the bays with the least impact on availability of parking spaces.

So how well are the Electric Vehicle (EV) bays used?

Between April-July 2023, there were 1,795 charging sessions in the city council operated bays, equating to 33,700 kilowatt hours.

Blink Charging which operate four rapid chargers limited to one-hour use in Lancaster’s Spring Garden Street, Morecambe’s Billy Hill and Heysham village car parks monitor their own take-up.

“We don’t have any comparative figures from other organisations that also provide EV chargers but know they are in daily use and across all car parks where they are installed,” said a council spokesperson.

Many supermarket car parks now feature charging points and some attractions such as Greenlands Farm Village near Carnforth are launching them too. Lancaster University campus has 36.

Lancashire County Council operate four on-street chargers locally. During June there were 92 charges at the point in Marine Road Central, Morecambe; and in Carnforth 42 in New Street, 84 in Market Street and 12 in Preston Street.

County estimate there will be a need for around 6,600 charge points throughout Lancashire by 2030.

In further efforts to encourage people to use electric vehicles, Lancaster City Council partnered with Co-Wheels Car Club to provide new electric cars for hire.

The latest ones added to those at Dallas Road car park and at Salt Ayre Leisure Centre in Lancaster are three in Preston Street, Carnforth. For the first six months of 2023, the new hire cars in Carnforth had been driven a total of 16,608 miles. They cost £5.75 an hour and are aimed at those who need vehicles for short journeys.

The council also provides EV pool cars for staff when making short trips which can also be booked via Co-Wheels when not in council use.

In February, the council was awarded more than £54,500 of government funding to encourage take-up of electric taxis but details of how this scheme will work in practice are currently being developed and agreed.

*In 2020/1, the council launched its fleet electrification programme with the aim of completion by 2027/8. There are around 160 vehicles in the fleet, ranging from refuse collection vans to tractors. Last year, Lancaster became the first authority in the county to use an electric bin wagon.