The UK Government has announced that the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capability Fund is open for eligible local authorities to apply to.

Local authorities in England can apply for funding from the government for staff to deliver EV infrastructure from today.

The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capability fund will develop in-house expertise and capability to coordinate chargepoint plans and work with private operators.

This will ensure local EV charging needs are considered and met within the context of the 2030 phase out of new petrol and diesel cars and wider net zero goals.

Tim Anderson, Group Head of Transport at Energy Saving Trust said: “Electric vehicles are becoming a more popular choice of transport, now with over one million licensed plug-in vehicles registered in the UK.

“The launch of the LEVI Capability fund will support access to convenient and reliable EV charging for more people, including those without the option of charging at home.

“We’re pleased to be working with the Government to enable the transition to low carbon transport ahead of the phase out of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

“This in turn is an essential part of achieving the UK’s net zero emissions targets.”

Chris Rimmer, Deputy Head of Energy Systems & Infrastructure at Cenex, said: “This funding will give local authorities the skills and resources they need to deploy hundreds of chargepoints in the short-term, and thousands over the next decade.

“This will result in a comprehensive and reliable network of chargepoints for drivers, support the transition to electric vehicles, and lower emissions across the transport sector.”

The LEVI Capability Fund is available to Tier 1 local authorities in England and can be used to finance the staff and expertise needed to deliver EV infrastructure, with the aim of:

• Increasing the capacity and capability of every Tier 1 local authority to plan and deliver EV infrastructure.
• Enabling every Tier 1 local authority to have a published EV infrastructure strategy.

Local authorities will need to identify how the LEVI Capability Fund can best support them to increase their capability to deliver EV infrastructure.

Funding is directly available to county councils and unitary authorities, whilst combined authorities will be allocated and issued aggregated funding on behalf of authorities in their region. Eligible local authorities will be contacted and notified of their Capability Fund eligibility and asked to make a proposal.

The LEVI Support Body, comprised of Energy Saving Trust, Cenex and PA Consulting, will provide ongoing support and guidance to all local authority applicants – and are the point of contact for any queries or questions about the LEVI scheme.

Cenex leads the LEVI Fund Support Body’s technical advice and guidance for Local Authorities, building on its longstanding expertise in the design, development and delivery of EV Charging Strategies.

The support also includes an EV charging insights toolkit, NEVIS, which provides up-to-date data on the projected number of changepoints required, the current trajectory for installations, annual revenue, and operational costs for chargepoints.

The recently launched Knowledge Repository also gives local authorities access to reliable, up-to-date information and guidance about Electric Vehicles (EVs) and EV Infrastructure (EVI) to inform chargepoint strategies and support effective deployments.

Further information on the scheme and the application process can be found at: energysavingtrust.org.uk