Suffolk County Council has gone live with the first of thousands of public EV charge points in partnership with EV charge point operator Believ.

The project uses £5.3m government funding through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) scheme from the Department for Transport (DfT) alongside a £16m investment from Believ.

The project marks Believ’s first LEVI-funded charge point installation. The CPO will take responsibility for the charge point delivery, operation and ongoing maintenance.

It marks a significant milestone in the Plug in Suffolk Project – a programme designed to accelerate the county’s transition to sustainable transport.

The first site, located in Ashley Street, Ipswich, features charge points suitable for long-stay or overnight charging, to benefit local residents. The installation includes PAS 1899 compliant infrastructure, which determines the accessibility of public EV charge points.

Thousands more charge points will be rolled out across residential areas, helping to improve access to EV charging for those without driveways or off-street parking.

The project plans to roll out around 6,000 charge points over the coming years, with further updates to follow as new locations are confirmed. Believ will install a minimum of 2,100 on-street charge points and over 400 car park charge points with the first installs due to be completed by the end of the year.

To support residents further, a local members tariff will offer Suffolk drivers reduced charging rates.

Plug in Suffolk, launched in 2018, aims to ensure that every resident in the council is within a 5- to 10-minute walk or wheel of a charge point. As part of this wider programme, Believ is also installing air quality sensors, supporting Suffolk County Council in its ambitions to improve local air quality and reduce transport-related emissions.

Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for devolution, local government reorganisation and NSIPs, said: “The installation of the first charge point in the Suffolk and Believ partnership is a significant milestone for the Plug in Suffolk project. By working with Believ, we’re able to rapidly expand public charging infrastructure, helping more people who wish to do so make the switch to electric.

“We’re doing this in a measured way, ensuring no on-street parking is lost and not imposing any restrictions – meaning, whatever car they drive, residents can continue to park outside their homes.

“We have been receiving communications from residents who are excited about the installation of charge points outside of their homes, telling us that this infrastructure is going to help them and their neighbours make the move to more sustainable transport.”

Guy Bartlett, CEO at Believ, said: “We’re proud to be working with Suffolk County Council on a project that supports its climate goals. By making EV charging infrastructure more accessible, and therefore the EV switch easier, it benefits the residents across the county. This is a key step towards ensuring no community is left behind in the transition to electric mobility.”