New research from Midlands Connect suggests Derby and Derbyshire remain on track for an EV (electric vehicle) boom and could see just under 66,000 electric cars on its streets by the end of the decade, with a significant increase in public EV charge points needed to keep up with demand. The new projections were announced today at Midlands Connect’s EV Conference.

Figures suggest Derby and Derbyshire will see a 440% increase in uptake in electric vehicles by the end of 2030, with projections predicting to rise from 12,216 EVs today to 65,915 on its roads by the end of 2030.

New research forecasts have shown Derby and Derbyshire require a further 6,949 public charging points by 2030 to support the increase in EV use over the next decade, an 1,534% increase from the 453 chargers existing across the region today.  

Estimates suggest that by 2030, the Midlands could be home to over 2million EVs, with just under one in three (32.5%) vehicles being electric. To support this growing number of EVs, 58,997 new public EV charging points must be installed across the Midlands by the end of the decade. This means installing 27 new electric vehicle charging points every day, 194 per week, and 9,832 per year until the end of 2030.

The work is part of the Sub-national Transport Body’s efforts to support Local Authorities in increasing EV charger roll-out. In September 2023, it partnered with 14 Local Authorities for a total of £40.3million of Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to be part of consortium approach, accounting for 61% of the regions £66.5million funding.

The figures were announced at Midlands Connect’s EV Conference today, which brought together senior leaders and policymakers to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the Electric Vehicle industry. Discussions included hearing from firms manufacturing EVs; electrifying fleets of vehicles and ensuring that electrified transport is accessible to everyone.

Commenting on the research, Midlands Connect’s​ CEO, Maria Machancoses, said: 

It’s clear Derby and Derbyshire is still on the brink of a boom in Electric Vehicles, that could see just under 66,000 electric cars on its streets by the end of decade.

Local Authorities across the Midlands are doing a great job to roll out charging points, but they cannot do this alone. We’re already working with Local Authorities to support their work and help secure EV infrastructure funding from Government.

Our conference allowed us to bring together many different aspects of the EV industry, including Government, to discuss the challenges and opportunities ahead. We want to make the Midlands the home of the green industrial revolution.

Councillor Carolyn Renwick, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said:

We welcome this valuable research from Midlands Connect which qualifies the actions we're taking to meet this projected demand.

We’re committed to providing convenient, comprehensive, and cost-effective charging solutions for road users in Derbyshire and are progressing several projects in this area.

We’re providing solutions for those without off street parking by developing a network of slow chargers utilising existing street lights. This solution is perfect for overnight residential use and we’re working with residents to locate suitable sites where there is demand. We’re also exploring opportunities to develop Rapid and Ultra rapid charging hubs, through private sector partnerships, to keep commercial fleet operational.

But we can’t do this alone. Obviously, we need to work in partnership with private sector providers to roll out charging infrastructure in Derbyshire at pace and we’re currently in conversations with industry with a view to installing the next phase later this year.

Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability at Derby City Council said:

In Derby, we’re on a journey to grow the range of transport choices available to citizens and increasing and enhancing electric vehicle infrastructure is a huge part of this.

This new data reaffirms what we already know - that many of Derby’s citizens are planning to make the switch to electric vehicles over the next few years and we’re working hard to make this as easy as possible for them.