More electric charging points reinstated in Portsmouth after dozens shutdown but many still turned off

Fifteen EV points have been made operational, bringing the total to 34 being available for motorists to use. Portsmouth City Council (PCC) received a safety warning from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSE) in November 2023, resulting in all 98 units being shut down.

Councillor Graham Heaney said at the time it was an "absolute disaster" for electric car users. A total of 12 points were made operational again in December last year, but more still needs to be done.

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, cabinet member for transport, said: “We've been working closely with all parties to get more EV chargepoints back online, and I'm pleased to see a further 14 made available for people to use. I know this has been an inconvenience to electric vehicle owners in the city, and we’re very sorry for the impact this situation is causing. As there is higher demand for charging points, we'd ask people to please move their vehicles once they're charged so that other EV owners can use them."

The local authority and SSE are investigating the cause of the safety issue. Workers have been prioritising the points which can be turned back on the quickest. Once the point are back online, the dedicated parking spots can only be used for vehicles which are charging.

The points which have been turned on include 21 Gains Road, 37 Gains Road, 37 Crofton Road, 207 Stubbington Avenue, 19 Lichfield Road, 19 Berney Road, 17 Croft Road, 21 Chestnut Avenue, 151 Hayling Avenue, 126 Methuen Road, Kings Road, outside 45/61 Norfolk Street, 24 Lennox Road South, 24 Lindley Avenue, 35 Nutbourne Road and 14 Mayhall Road.