The investment was approved at a meeting of the agency’s cabinet which learned that the money will come from a reserve fund set up at the end of last fiscal year to bolster County Hall’s green credentials.
The district council has already taken over three electric vans, the use of which has been tested by various departments in order to find out which service areas are best suited for this.
In the meantime, a dozen electric cars have been procured for the authority’s parking controls, which were brought back under its direct control this month after being previously outsourced.
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Lancashire County Council staff and cabinet members pictured outside County Hall with their new electric vans and maintenance equipment
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Electric car charging boost for Lancashire as part of CO2 savings plans
More battery-powered vehicles could be entering the county soon after cabinet members give the green light to the green investment – and the highway service is expected to be up for them next.
At the meeting it was heard that the county council already gets its electricity from renewable sources – which translates into double environmental benefits if that energy is now used to power part of the agency’s well-traveled fleet.
The charging infrastructure – accounting for a third of the £ 3 million investment – will be installed in community facilities where the first electric vehicle users are based.
Cabinet Member on Environment and Climate Change Shaun Turner – himself an electric car driver – said the move “underscores our commitment to net zero carbon emissions and … to zero tailpipe emissions.”
Regarding the timing of the decision, he denied that the agency was slow to start moving to electric vehicles, stating that the council had been waiting for models to hit the market that “could meet our service needs”. [and] could travel far enough ”.
County Hall has also had battery-powered maintenance equipment like hedge trimmers and chainsaws lately.
After the meeting, County Cllr Turner added, “Our fleet services team has been researching where we could use electric vehicles to provide services for some time – and while previous models had too many limitations, there are now many more options in the market which can go further, especially between the fees.
“As our current parking enforcement contract is expiring, this team will be in-house from September and give us the opportunity to equip them with electric vehicles to reduce emissions when driving through the county.
“By investing in the charging infrastructure of our depots and offices to support them, we are also well positioned to expand the use of electric vehicles in the future.”
