Liverpool City Region Combined Authority welcomed businesses and members of the public to an electric vehicle roadshow that revealed innovative plans to accelerate the wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles across Liverpool City Region, Cheshire, North Shropshire and North Wales.
We sponsored the event which was held at the Mann Island Building Complex in Liverpool City Centre.
In April 2019 we partnered with Smarter Grid Solutions on Project Charge, a trailblazing £8.5million project which aims to accelerate the roll out of electric vehicles by finding the best way to charge at public venues, service stations and homes without their own driveways across Liverpool City Region, Cheshire, North Shropshire and North Wales.
The afternoon business seminar session was opened by a senior representative from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority who set the stage for a discussion about the city regions ambitions to decarbonise transport and improve air quality. Various speakers also provided an update on clean air planning, national net zero policies *and local projects to implement green transport infrastructure.
Supporting the indoor seminar was the EV Roadshow, which gave visitors the opportunity to experience first-hand the vehicles that will soon become an everyday sight on roads across the city region. The plaza around the Mann Island Buildings Complex played host to a showcase of the very latest ultra-low emission cars, vans and even electric push-bikes.
Manufacturers were on hand to meet members of the public at exhibition stands.
This event follows the approval of an interim air quality action plan by the Combined Authority. The plan makes a number of recommendations, including a commitment to improve sustainable transport to help people shift from polluting forms of transport to clean and zero carbon forms.
Mark Knowles, Energy and Environment Policy Lead for the Combined Authority, said: "The transition to electric vehicles is one of the key enablers of Liverpool City Region's move to decarbonisation and cleaner air. The Combined Authority is working with partners like SP Energy Networks and our local authorities to ensure that we have the charging infrastructure across the City Region. We need to make the transition to EV's as smooth and affordable as possible for all our communities and businesses. We also need to ensure that our supply chains are ready to grasp the opportunities this new market offers, and our young people have the latest skills to lead in this exciting new industry."
Guy Jefferson, Customer Service Director at SP Energy Networks, said: “We expect to see a surge in people using electric vehicles across the region in the next few years. That will lead to huge changes in the infrastructure required to deliver the necessary electricity to meet the increased demand, which means we need to act now to prepare the network.
“Project Charge is helping to deliver a better future, quicker for our customers and communities and is also helping to meet the Government’s ambitious Net Zero carbon targets.”
This event is supported by the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Growth Platform as a showcase of Green Great Britain and will be delivered by GreenFleet.