Between half and all of Carmarthenshire's fleet of 796 vehicles should be electric, according to a councillor. Cllr Neil Lewis said he believed the authority should aim for that proportion, as well as supporting electric car clubs and ensuring that the recharging of electric vehicles took place at times when electricity tariffs were cheap.
He was responding to a presentation about progress on the council's electric vehicle charging strategy at a scrutiny committee meeting. Cllr Lewis said a lot of good work had been done on the 10-year strategy but that in his view the take-up of electric vehicles by the council itself was an area of weakness. "I think we should be targeting 50% to 100% (electric vehicles) in the fleet," he said.
A report before the committee said the council had 10 electric cars and one electric van. Stephen Pilliner, head of highways and transport, said new electric vehicles were more expensive up front than petrol or diesel ones, and that phasing them in depended on where the current vehicles were on their replacement cycle.
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Another challenge, said Mr Pilliner, was that many fleet vehicles were taken home in the evening by employees, meaning the council would have to set up charging arrangements and reimburse staff for recharging them at home. Mr Pilliner added that specialist electric fleet vehicles would have to power the equipment on the vehicle as well as the vehicle itself.
Mr Pilliner said charging facilities had been installed in a number of council depots, preparing the way for more electric vehicles, and that a trial of electric refuse lorries would take place. He added that an electric car club was up and running in Brechfa. The committee was told that the council would take a fresh look at transforming its fleet in the first quarter of 2023-24, and that the 10-year charging strategy would be reviewed every three years to take into account the rapidly-developing technology.
Cllr Edward Thomas, cabinet member for transport, waste and infrastructure services, said a rapid charging hub which opened in Cross Hands in March had been used 3,300 times, that the private sector was installing charging facilities, and that external funding had been secured to expand the county's fast-charging network.
The council's electric charging strategy has 13 recommendations, including encouraging electric vehicle uptake by taxi owners and bus companies. The council's website has information about its infrastructure network and about grants available to the public.
The UK Government has ruled that no more new petrol or diesel cars or vans can be sold after 2030. The report before the committee said: "Should the purchase of electric vehicles continue to grow, there is likely to be demand for charging facilities near people’s homes. This can be challenging in urban environments due to limits with on street space and competing demands for road space around domestic properties." It added that 60% of Carmarthenshire's population lived in rural areas, so strategically-deployed charging facilities would be particularly important.
The report said evidence suggested that new electric vehicles were set to become cheaper than conventional alternatives by 2027. A new Nissan Leaf costs £28,995 upwards, according to the latest figures on Nissan's website, while a Renault Zoe starts at £29,995.
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