In 2024, Portsmouth City Council secured just under £930,000 in funding from the UK Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).
Known as the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), this funding was available between 2017 and 2024 for local authorities to install residential electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints.
More than 3,000 Portsmouth residents already drive plug-in or hybrid vehicles, and forecasts suggest this could rise to over 20,000 by 2030, which is around one in four residents. This rollout is part of a wider plan to meet that growing demand and encourage more people to make the switch to electric, with over 300 chargepoints planned over the next year, particularly in residential areas without off-street parking. The first 150 of these are now live.
To find out how to get started with using Zest chargepoints and to view the locations as they go live, visit www.zest.uk.com/charge-with-us. The website includes helpful guidance, an interactive map, and regular updates as new chargepoints are activated across the city.