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We're encouraging the use of electric vehicles to help tackle our climate emergency. Find out how we plan to increase public charging infrastructure; suggest a location for a new chargepoint; access grants supporting homeowners and businesses with chargepoint installations.
Government's Net Zero Strategy and our climate commitment
In line with this goal, and our declaration of a climate emergency as a council, we are focused on encouraging the use of electric vehicles in Wiltshire to help reduce the county's emissions. We will do this by improving the charging infrastructure to support our residents, businesses and visitors who drive electric vehicles.
Electric vehicle basics
Lower emissions and cleaner air
Fully electric vehicles run on electricity instead of petrol or diesel. This means they do not produce tailpipe emissions, as no fuel is burned to generate power to the engine, improving our air quality. They also produce less whole life green house gas emissions, helping combat climate change.
Cheaper to run
Electricity can be cheaper than petrol or diesel, providing a lower cost per mile. Home charging provides the lowest cost electricity rates. Some types of EV also currently benefit from government incentives.
Cheaper to maintain
EVs have fewer moving parts, which means lower maintenance costs compared to traditional internal combustion engines (ICE) vehicles. There's no need for oil changes, exhaust repairs, or engine maintenance.
Battery technology is improving
Most EVs can now travel 200 to 250 miles per charge and this range is improving as technologies advance in the sector. EV batteries often outlast their vehicles, allowing their re-use elsewhere.
Purchase prices are falling
EVs are generally more expensive up front than comparable ICE vehicles but prices are falling as technology improves, and the second-hand market is growing and becoming more affordable.
Charging infrastructure is expanding
In February 2025, the UK had over 75,000 public EV chargepoints, an increase of 32% over the previous 12 months. Government funding is supporting the roll-out of high-powered chargepoints across major roads andovernight chargers on residential streets, preparing for increased demand as more residents and businesses move to electric.
There are several types of electric vehicle currently on the market:
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs): powered solely by electricity (home or public chargepoints). They produce zero tailpipe emissions and a reduced environmental impact over their lifetime
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs): powered by a combination of electricity and fossil fuels. The battery can be charged externally and can support short trips, while the ICE enables longer journeys
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs): fuelled solely by fossil fuels, an ICE generates a small supporting amount of electricity that assists the vehicle intermittently.
