The City plans to add to its growing fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) after securing a grant to install new charging stations at two of its depots.

Two dual port 22.5kW EV chargers – with the capacity to charge up to four vehicles simultaneously – will be installed at both Belmont and Corio depots.

The City has received a $48 000 grant from the Victorian Government to help deliver the infrastructure via the EV Charging for Council Fleets program.

The program awarded grants to 26 Victorian councils and plans to install about 120 private EV charging stations at 57 council sites across Victoria by May 2023.

Councillor Stephanie Asher Chair of the Sustainability Performance portfolio thanked the Victorian Government for its support in helping the City embrace sustainable transport and cleaner fuels.

Council is investing in more electric vehicle charging technology to help meet the demands of our growing carbon-neutral fleet. We want to transition our light fleet to net zero within five years and encourage the community to increase its use of EVs.

There are already five dual port charging stations across Belmont Corio and Drysdale depots which help run six electric vans.

While there are a further three EVs soon to be delivered the City is preparing to order up to 10 more EVs in 2022-23.

Cr Asher said the goal of achieving a net-zero light fleet by 2027 was a key plank in Council’s wider sustainability aims.

Driving down our carbon footprint has a range of environmental and economic benefits. It also leads our community towards a more sustainable future where we are a zero-emissions climate ready region that is well placed to deal with future challenges.

Recently released provisional figures indicate that the City’s operational carbon emissions dropped by an estimated 30 per cent in 2021-22.

Emissions have been slashed by more than 50 per cent since June 2017 on the back of a range of clever and creative sustainability initiatives.