Decision details

Fee Setting - Electric Vehicle Charging Units

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Purpose:

This report seeks approval of the price to be charged to motorists using Sheffield City Council’s Rapid Vehicle Chargers

 

Decision:

1.    That the price charged to motorists using the council’s Rapid Vehicle Charges is initially set at 30p per Kilowatt hour used for the first 60 minutes. After 60 minutes this will increase to a flat rate fee of £10 per hour.

 

2.    That the charges are introduced by Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) and therefore subject to the consultation required before the effect of an ETRO may potentially be made permanent at the end of its experimental period.

 

3.    The Director of City Growth has authority, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport and Development, to make future changes to the fee motorists pay to use the council’s electric charging infrastructure, where this supports effective management of demand for parking and contributes to wider traffic management objectives. This is provided they are not altered by an amount greater or less than the rate of 1p per Kilowatt hour or the Retail Price Index plus 1% from the date they were last increased, whichever is the greater.

 

Reasons for the decision:

1.    The price of 30 pence per kilowatt hour is in line with other commercial and local authority operators so will be appropriate to encourage use while covering costs of running the chargers. The increase to a flat fee of £10 per hour after 60 minutes of charging will discourage motorist from leaving their vehicle parked in the bay longer than is needed to fill their battery to an adequate charge.  A battery can reach 80% charge within 30-40 minutes.

 

2.    The price is included within the ETRO, and therefore subject to the consultation that begins when it is introduced. Any objections duly received must be considered before the effect of the ETRO may be made permanent, as it may only last a maximum of 18 months in the first instance.

 

Alternative options considered:

1.    Consideration was given to charging for parking without being on charge in the electric bay. It was discounted as we want to encourage drivers to use the infrastructure and move on to increase availability of chargers for other motorists.  Similarly, encouraging motorists to park in the bay for an extended period of time would reduce availability.

 

2.    Consideration has also been given to doing nothing. However, the lack of infrastructure to charge electric vehicles rapidly is a barrier to switching from a combustion engine to an ultra-low emission vehicle. By doing nothing the availability of chargers will remain lower, and the rate of change to electric vehicles is likely to also remain lower, reducing the speed in which vehicle change takes place, and reducing the impact in improving Sheffield’s air quality. 

Publication date: 19/02/2021

Date of decision: 18/02/2021

Effective from: 26/02/2021

Accompanying Documents: