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Hampshire County Council has approved a rollout of 17,180 public EV chargers through a LEVI backed partnership with Believ, supported by up to £90 million of private investment. The programme will include predominantly 22kW charge points for overnight and long stay charging, alongside more than 800 rapid chargers rated at 50kW or above, targeting residents without off street parking (33% of Hampshire households). The project is supported by £6.6 million of LEVI funding, with Believ providing the remainder, and aims to provide access to public charging within a five minute walk of households where possible.

Why it matters: This is expected to be the largest Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) contract awarded to date, demonstrating the scale of public sector procurement now available through the LEVI programme. The deal follows Believ's Suffolk contract earlier this year and sets a benchmark for county wide charging infrastructure deployment targeting on street parking challenges.

Hampshire County Council has awarded charge point operator Believ a 15 year contract to install and operate 17,000 electric vehicle charging points across the county, targeting areas without off street charging. The £90 million scheme is supported by more than £6.6 million in government funding, with installations expected to begin later this year and around 500 charge points planned for delivery in the first year. The programme will include rapid charge points and potential charging hubs for taxis and private hire vehicles.

Why it matters: This major procurement demonstrates how local authorities are using long term concession contracts to deliver large scale on street charging networks, with Believ securing operational rights for 15 years. The phased rollout of 500 units in year one provides a delivery benchmark for similar county wide programmes combining public and private investment.

Hampshire County Council has committed £1.8 million from its 2025/26 Bus Service Improvement Plan to fund charging and power infrastructure at Stagecoach's Farlington depot in Portsmouth. The investment, selected from three operator applications, will cover new charging equipment, upgraded electrical cabling and enhanced grid connections to support a fleet of electric buses on key county routes.

Why it matters: The award signals active procurement of depot scale charging infrastructure in Hampshire and demonstrates how BSIP funding is channelling public capital into electric bus transition projects. Operators and suppliers targeting the UK bus electrification market can track similar BSIP allocations as a pipeline for depot infrastructure tenders.