The Transition to Electric Vehicles

How Cornwall Council is supporting the transition to electric vehicles 

The Cornwall Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (EVI) Strategy sets out: 

• our vision for expanding EV charging infrastructure in Cornwall 

• an action plan to 2030 

• the role of the Council in this process

You can read the consultation report for this Strategy on our Let's Talk pages. 

Support for Switching to an Electric Vehicle 

Information from the Energy Saving Trust on buying and charging an electric vehicle 

Central government grants to buy an electric vehicle 

For further information on central government’s VAT treatment of electric vehicle charging and when tax can be recovered for business purposes, please visit Revenue and Customs Brief 7 (2021): VAT liability of charging of electric vehicles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Central Government Grants for Installing Charging Points 

• Chargepoint grant for renters and flat owners 

• Chargepoint grant for households with on-street parking 

• Chargepoint and infrastructure grant for business staff and fleet car parks 

• Chargepoint and infrastructure grant for landlords, including car parks 

• Workplace charging scheme (including: businesses, charities, public sector organisations and small accommodation businesses) 

• Workplace charging scheme for state-funded education institutions 

Myths about EVs 

There are a lot of myths circulating about electric vehicles. The RAC and partners have put together 'The Little Book of EV myths' answering some of the common questions including: 

• Do EVs cost more? 

• Do EV batteries last? 

• Do EVs pollute more than petrol cars? 

• Won't hydrogen replace EV for cars soon? 

• Do EVs catch fire more regularly? 

Suggest a location for a new Charge Point 

Cornwall Council is looking for suggestions for locations for new public charge points. You can drop a pin on a map showing your suggested site. We are also seeking expressions of interest from town and parish councils for sites on land they own or lease. 

Visit our Let's Talk pages for more information. 

EVs, the Climate Emergency and Air Pollution 

Cornwall Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019.  Transitioning to electric vehicles is part of the solution to reduce our emissions. 

For more information on how we are making transport more sustainable follow the links below: 

• The Cornwall Transport Plan 

Poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK, leading to 28,000-36,000 deaths annually.  

Air Quality Management Areas (where air pollution is greater than national objectives) have been declared for: 

• the Camborne, Pool, and Redruth (CPR) area in 2005, 

• Bodmin in 2008,  

• Tideford in 2011,  

• Gunnislake and St Austell in March 2014,  

• Truro in July 2015,  

• Grampound in July 2017 

• Launceston in February 2018. 

The transition to electric vehicles, where car journeys are necessary, as well as choosing walking, wheeling, cycling and public transport where possible will help prevent these deaths. 

Find out more about air pollution in Cornwall and what you can do to help reduce it

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah became a clean air advocate after her 9-year-old daughter, Ella, died in 2013 from a rare and severe form of asthma. She spent several years campaigning for a second coroner's inquest into Ella's death to determine whether it was linked to air pollution where they lived in London. In a landmark decision in December 2020, the coroner ruled that it was. Ella is now the first person in the world to have air pollution listed as a cause of death on her death certificate.