cllr dave stewart with a car

Electric vehicles benefit from special parking permit

The council share this latest news. Ed


The Isle of Wight Council is offering a free 12-month parking permit for owners of new, zero-emission electric vehicles.

The All Island Electric Vehicle Permit is open to owners of vehicles registered to an Island address between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020.

Applications for the permit can be made via the Website.

Councillor John Hobart, Cabinet member for heritage and environment, said:

“Pure electric cars and vans do not pump out harmful emissions into the air we breathe.

“As well as reducing emissions and improving air quality, owners also enjoy miniscule running costs with the cost of recharging significantly less than the price of a tank of petrol or diesel.

“Our new All Island Electric Vehicle Permit supports our sustainable transport objectives by providing a local incentive to stimulate the purchase of electric vehicles by Islanders.”

The council’s Environmental Action Plan has been developed in response to suggestions from the wider community put forward at the authority’s Environmental Conference, in June 2018. 

The promotion of electric vehicles was considered a priority because of their contribution to reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality.

Electric Vehicle Charging Points
There are now five Electric Vehicle Charging Points (EVCP) located in council car parks.

The EVCPs in Ryde, Cowes, Sandown and Freshwater are ‘fast’ chargers which typically take between two and three hours to administer a full vehicle charge.

The EVCP in Newport is a ‘rapid’ charger. This is the fastest available and can sufficiently charge a vehicle in twenty to thirty minutes, costing on average £6 per charge.

Ward: Making plans to meet future demand
Councillor Ian Ward, Cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, said:

“The Isle of Wight Council is forward looking and is making plans to meet the future growth in demand for charging electric vehicles. 

“It is keen to expand its network of electric vehicle chargers in its car parks and is examining how it can provide on-street charging facilities for those not living close to a car park.”