More than £200,000 of government funding is being used to install the chargers in the county.

The first residential electric vehicle chargers in Essex have now been installed.

The chargers, which are located on Moulsham Street in Chelmsford and Wimpole Road in Colchester, are the first of 66 for the county. Further points will be installed over the next six months.

They have been funded by £236,000 from the Government’s residential charge point scheme.

It is hoped they will help to encourage more residents to swap to an electric car. This includes those who may not have access to off-street parking.

Essex County Council submitted details of potential locations as part of its funding bid to the scheme. The council has also submitted a further bid to the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund. The outcome of this is expected to be confirmed shortly.

Last year, the council published its Electric Vehicle Strategy. This details its intention for what the charging network in the county should look like.

Councillor Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport, said: “This is a significant milestone in our ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the county.

“By installing more electric vehicle charging points, we are delivering on our commitment to give residents greater choice over how they travel. I hope as more chargers are installed, more residents will make the switch to an electric vehicle.

"We are also continuing to support residents to choose alternative ways of travelling for short journeys, such as walking and cycling. These options work hand in hand and will help us to deliver a safer, greener and healthier Essex for all who live here.”

Councillor Peter Schwier, Essex County Council’s Climate Czar and Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste Reduction and Recycling, said: “Since our new Electric Vehicle Charge Point Strategy was adopted in summer 2024, we have been working hard to ensure the successful delivery of it and to develop the charging infrastructure Essex needs.

“I am delighted to see these initial car chargers being installed. They signal the first steps towards helping us deliver on our net zero goals and I look forward to seeing more being installed throughout Essex.”

Find out more about the council's Essex Electric Vehicle Charge Point Strategy: https://www.essexhighways.org/ev-strategy