Knowsley’s Climate Emergency Scrutiny Committee have been considering the borough’s installation of electric vehicle infrastructure in response to meeting net zero targets.
The UK Government has set a 2050 Net Carbon Zero Target, while Knowsley Council is currently working towards a 2040 Net Carbon Zero Target.
Latest statistics for 2023, published in 2025, show that on average across UK local authorities, domestic transport was the largest emitter of CO2, accounting for 32% of all UK emissions.
Currently in Knowsley, emissions from the transport sector account for 42% of total emissions across the borough. With transport emissions making up almost half of the borough’s total emissions, there is a clear need to shift away from private, combustion engine-powered journeys.
Action Plan
In July 2023, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) approved the 5 Year Climate Action Plan. The Action Plan focuses on encouraging sustainable and active travel, to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport. It is estimated that to achieve Net Zero in the transport sector by 2040, the average person needs to reduce the number of car-journeys per year by between 48–72 trips.
The Council has established an Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel working group, tasked with developing an implementation plan to support the Council’s and the borough’s shift from combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles.
Steps taken to reduce emissions from vehicles
Knowsley Council is taking measures to reduce its own emissions through its Fleet Replacement Programme.
This includes:
- Three new electric vans have replaced two ageing electric models and three end-of-life diesel models. The vans display climate-positive messages to illustrate the Council’s commitment to electrifying its fleet. A procurement process is also being undertaken to bring in another 5 electric vehicles into the Council’s fleet.
- Investment is being made in Stretton Way depot to install additional charging stations to accommodate these additional vehicles.
- Additionally, a pilot trial was undertaken to convert the existing fleet from diesel to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel. HVO has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90% without the need to purchase new or modify existing vehicles, offering a practical commitment to the Net Zero 2040 target.
- Building on this trial, the Council is in the process of upgrading the fuel pumps and the fuel management system. Once the work has been completed, the Council will be using one of the current diesel tanks to store HVO. Initially this will be used on HGV’s that have been approved and then rolled out across the fleet.
Charging points
The Council has a requirement to provide charge points for up to 50% of communal car parking in new residential developments or to provide an EV Charge Point or have the infrastructure needed to install one dedicated parking space per dwelling. Additionally, for apartments and flats developments there is a specified amount of chargers required, depending on the development type.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that as of October 2025, Knowsley had 145.1 public EV charging devices per 100,000 people, significantly below the national average of 470.8.
Electric Vehicle take up
Since 2019, there has been an 1,311% increase in electric vehicle ownership in Knowsley, however electric vehicle ownership still remains relatively low compared to the national average.
Affordability of electric vehicles is seen as one of the biggest barriers to electric vehicle take-up. With the average cost of new electric vehicles at £44,000, it is estimated that most electric vehicles owners are in the top 20% of earners nationally. Affordability is partly due to the lack of a cheaper, second-hand market, and although this has started to develop, there are still limited, affordable options.
You can find the full report to the Scrutiny Committee here.