E-bike rollout to coincide with electric car plans in Devon | news

With more than 400 public electric car charging points slated for Devon, cycling groups fear they will be forgotten.

A co bike in Exeter that the county council hopes we’ll see more of soonAuthor: Andrew KayPublished 2 hours ago
Last updated 2 hours ago

We can reveal that there are plans to expand Devon’s e-bike rental program – and install more charging points – alongside the ongoing introduction of charging points for electric cars.

By the end of next year, Devon councils will have provided more than 400 public electric car chargers – including 74 quick chargers for the street – and are also offering more government funding to make cycling easier with an e-bike.

The move was welcomed by cycling activists, who say reducing traffic should be a priority, along with making cycling easier and safer through the development of new cycling networks.

Co-bike network usage increased over 400 percent in Devon in 2020.

Mike Walton, chairman of the Exeter Cycling Campaign, said; “What I don’t want to do is move to a place where our city has replaced a traffic jam with diesel cars and set up a traffic jam for electric vehicles.

“Time and again, research shows – and in fact experience shows – in many cities around the world that if you make cycling safe, if you make it safe and accessible for people to walk safely, then they will too to do.

“We saw in the lockdown that when it was safe, people came out with their families and thought I was going to cycle on the road now because it’s safe.”

Stuart Hughes, Devon County Councilor for Highways, said, “We partnered with Co Bikes many years ago and they started rolling out electric bikes across Exeter – you can find them at the train stations, Cranbrook, St See David’s.

“Everyone remembers the Boris Bike, Devon pioneered Co Bikes – the first electric charging bikes that you could actually rent.

“We actually applied for another pot of money from the government and if we succeed we will hopefully see more of these charging stations set up in other areas like Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth and more around Exeter – and and then all of them Roll out the county. ”

All week we watch the electric car rollout in Devon after 30 nations pledged to make zero-emission vehicles the norm by 2030

There has been a mixed response to the lane locations for the first 14 of Devon’s new public fast charging points

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