The Head of Corporate Strategy has submitted a report inviting Cabinet to approve the Oxford City Council Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.       Approve the draft Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy as set out at Appendix 1, confirming the principles for future decision making within this strategy and delegate authority to the Head of Corporate Strategy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Health and Transport to make further minor amendments to the draft Strategy prior to its adoption;

2.       Note that an Implementation Plan will follow for Cabinet approval in Autumn 2022;

3.       Adopt the Oxfordshire Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy which links in a complementary way with the Oxford city specific policies and actions set out in the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy.

The Head of Corporate Strategy had submitted a report seeking Cabinet approval for the Oxford City Council Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Transport referred to the recent opening of the Energy Superhub at Redbridge Park and Ride, Europe’s most powerful electric vehicle charging hub, and commended all those Councillors and officers who had been involved in bringing the project to fruition.

In presenting the report, the Cabinet Member highlighted that the very high costs involved in providing Electric Vehicle (EV) infrastructure meant that delivery needed to be undertaken in partnership with private providers.  The challenge lay in ensuring that provision was fairly distributed across the City, and not concentrated amongst early adopters of the technology.  The Cabinet Member reported that the EV Infrastructure Strategy set out the framework for delivering the infrastructure, as well as the reasons (which included the aim to become carbon neutral by 2040, and achieving improvements in air quality).  It required synergy with developing national policies and the countywide EV strategy; needed to cover a variety of different vehicle requirements, including private cars, delivery vehicles, commercial vehicles and buses; and needed to take account of both future behaviour and population change.  There had therefore been many challenges within its development.

Several potential income streams and commercial opportunities had also been identified in developing the Strategy.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.      Approve the draft Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy as set out at Appendix 1, confirming the principles for future decision making, and delegate authority to the Head of Corporate Strategy in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Health and Transport to make further minor amendments to the draft Strategy prior to its adoption;

2.      Note that an implementation plan will follow for Cabinet approval in Autumn 2022;

3.      Adopt the Oxfordshire Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy which links in a complementary way with the Oxford city specific policies and actions set out in the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy.