Portsmouth has been named the third most accessible city for electric vehicle charge points in the UK, with 59 per cent of residents now living within a five-minute walk of a charge point.

New research from Field Dynamics in partnership with Zap-Map has revealed the volume of charging stations within a five-minute walk to residents throughout the UK. With a UK average of 17 per cent fitting into this category as of 2022, a rise from 12 per cent from 2000, an impressive 59 per cent of Portsmouth residents now fall into this category, with only Brighton and Hove and Greater London having a higher volume.

When the time comes to purchase a new vehicle, replacing a petrol or diesel car with an electric vehicle is one of the ways people can help to reduce air pollution in the city and improve air quality for everyone. In Portsmouth, there are currently around 100 electric vehicle charge points across the city, in car parks and on streets. On-street residential electric charging points work on a pay as you go basis, drawing their electricity from lampposts with availability 24 hours a day.

Cllr Lynne Stagg, Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transportation, said: “I am thrilled to see Portsmouth’s efforts to expand our electric vehicle accessibility be recognised in this manner. As we continue to encourage our residents and visitors to choose more sustainable travel options in a bid to improve air quality for ourselves and our city, we hope the number of electric charging points across Portsmouth will encourage people that need to replace their vehicle to consider an electric car.

“Electric vehicles are just part of the solution however, and I’d urge everyone to make walking, cycling and taking public transport their first choice for short journeys.”

To discover an electric charging point near you, please visit Electric charge points – Portsmouth City Council.