Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire are on the brink of an electric vehicle boom which could see more than 200,000 electric cars on the streets by the end of the decade, new research has found.
Figures released by regional transport body Midlands Connect and engineering consultancy WSP suggest that Stoke-on-Trent will see a significant increase in the uptake of electric vehicles (EV) in the next eight years, rising from 826 today to 35,042 by the end of 2030.
In Staffordshire, EV uptake is expected to jump from 4,726 to 171,990 by the end of the decade, while the wider Midlands region could see 1.7 million EVs on its roads during the same time frame.
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Together, WSP and Midlands Connect forecast that Stoke-on-Trent will need a further 743 new public EV charging points by the end of 2030, while a further 3,591 will be needed in Staffordshire and 8,909 extra chargers will be needed across the Midlands.
Midlands Connect says a £131 million 'electric vehicle fund' will be needed to support the installation of the additional charging points, and predicts that private businesses will fund just over half of the charging points needed on the network (51 per cent), with local authorities expected to deliver the other half (49 per cent).
Midlands Connect's CEO Maria Machancoses said: "Stoke-on-Trent is on the brink of a boom in electric vehicles and could see every third car being an electric one by the end of decade.
"But more than this, we could also see thousands of new jobs created in the manufacturing, installation and repair of electric vehicles and charging points.
"Local authorities across the Midlands are doing a great job to roll out charging points, but they cannot do this alone.
"Government, the automotive industry and private suppliers must all play a part in speeding up the roll out and ensuring councils have the support they need.
"The Midlands started the industrial revolution and we are trying to make it our mission to make the Midlands the home of the green industrial revolution."
Giles Perkins, head of profession for future mobility at WSP, said: "We are on the cusp of a monumental change in transport and a decisive pivot away from fossil fuel-based transport modes to the age of the electric vehicle.
"This brings with it several challenges, not least the requirement for large scale deployment of charging infrastructure, which we must ensure provides convenient, equitable and inclusive solutions for all.
"However, this revolution also presents real opportunities for us through green investment and regeneration, new jobs and skills, as well as the benefits of improved local air quality, reduced carbon emissions and a spur to renewable energy."
The research - which was released ahead of an EV conference which is being hosted by Midlands Connect today - also found that nearly 300,000 jobs could be created as part of the EV boom.
The analysis predicts that 4,475 jobs could be created in EV charge installation, 4,548 in charge point operation, 665 manufacturing jobs, 1,383 retail jobs, 3,157 in energy distribution and storage and 1,754 energy production roles.
