Plug in Suffolk news

12 November: Meet the Fleet: an electrifying time with Suffolk’s Car Clubs

In October, councillors from all over Suffolk came together for a special event called Meet the Fleet. It was their chance to see firsthand how Suffolk’s new electric car clubs work — and take the cars for a spin!

What happened?

The event was hosted by the Plug in Suffolk team and their partner, Co Wheels. Councillors and council staff got to:

• Chat with the team behind the project
• Learn how easy it is to book and hire a car
• Go for a drive in one of the electric car club vehicles
• Ask questions and find out how the scheme helps local people
• Learn how the project is helping Suffolk become more sustainable

What did people say?

Councillor Waterman, Leader of West Suffolk District Council, said:

“It was great to meet the team and try out the cars. They’re all shiny new electric vehicles — perfect for people who need to get around but don’t want to buy their own car. I’m proud to be part of the group that helped fund this.”

Katy Bush, who helps run the project as Environment Strategy Project Manager, added:

“We were really happy to see so many councillors and staff come along. It was a great chance to show how simple it is to use the car clubs. We hope they’ll now share the idea with residents and even try the cars themselves!”

What are Car Clubs?

Car clubs are a smart way to travel sustainably via car without owning one. Since June, Suffolk has been rolling out electric car clubs in different areas of the county. Here’s how they work:

Why are they so great?

• You can book a car for just a few minutes, a few hours, or even a whole day
• You only pay for the time you use and the miles you drive
• The cars are electric, so they’re better for the environment
• Using the Car Clubs can help reduce traffic, parking problems, and air pollution.

Want to learn more?

Plug in Suffolk is running an 18-month trial of the Car Clubs. If you’re curious or want to try one out, visit the Co Wheels website.

1 October: Charging channel trial could provide innovative solution for charging at home

Suffolk County Council is currently running a 12-month trial of charging channels, which allows charging cable to run from a home charger to an electric vehicle parked on the road, through a special channel, flush with the surface.

The 12-month trial for EV charging channels is trialling three exciting technologies from KerboCharge, Gul-E and ChargeGully, to provide those without access to a driveway the ability to charge at home.

25% of households in Suffolk rely on on-street parking, which is often a barrier for people who would like an electric vehicle as they have no convenient way to charge. A charging channel provides a safe, convenient way to charge an electric vehicle without running a cable across a pavement, which can cause trip hazards. Installation normally takes as a little as two hours, and channels can last for many years.

Residents with mobility difficulties can benefit from this solution, as those who have difficulty using and accessing public chargepoints can safely charge an electric vehicle from their homes. Feedback from a participant in the trial on the Motability Scheme has reflected this:
"I use the charging channel regularly – typically several times a week. It’s straightforward to use and has made home charging much more practical. Having the cable safely housed reduces the risk of trips or obstructions on the pavement, which is a big plus."

Additional participants of the trial have found the charging channels easy to use and maintain:
"It has been an amazing addition, it has helped us so much…we don’t need to sit in a car park hour on end each week charging our car."

The trial is expected to be completed in January 2026, and the decision to allow other residents to apply will be made after the trial completion. If adopted, this pioneering technology will be available widely for applicants across Suffolk.

10 September: An introduction to EVs and EV charging for councillors

Calling all councillors!

If you’re looking to increase your knowledge of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, Energy Saving Trust are running multiple webinars titled “An introduction to EVs and EV charging for Councillors.”. These events are pitched specifically towards supporting councillor knowledge, providing you with an introduction to electric vehicles, policy updates, mythbusting and the role of local authority members.

With the Plug in Suffolk programme well underway, it’s a fantastic opportunity to increase your knowledge on the value of the electric vehicle projects.

These webinars are free to attend and are only for local authority councillors. You can sign up at the Energy Saving Trust website. 

15 August: Three more car clubs have arrived in Suffolk

Throughout the Summer months, 14 electric vehicles were placed in seven locations across Suffolk. Two cars with a range of over 200 miles have been placed in Sudbury, Hadleigh, Needham Market, Bury St Edmunds, Woodbridge, Stowmarket and Norfolk Road, Ipswich. Car clubs gives you the opportunity to simply book a car for minutes, hours or days, cutting out the expense of ownership. The Plug In Suffolk Car Club is just one way that Suffolk’s local authorities are helping to create a net zero Suffolk. This project delivers on two of the Suffolk Climate Emergency Plan’s goals; a reduced number of cars on the road and an increased proportion of vehicles on the road that are low or zero emission.

Over the next few months, car club vehicles are due to be delivered to each of the following further locations:

• Newmarket
• Lowestoft
• Ann Street, Ipswich
• Leiston

To join the car club, visit co-wheels. Suffolk residents can use promo code Suffolk15 to get free membership and £15 credit on their account. After becoming a member, vehicles can be booked via the website, Co Wheels app or over the phone.

28 July: A successful EVEX 2025 at Trinity Park, Ipswich - special report by Peter Frost

Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 July 2025: For the first time, the Electric Vehicle Experience Day was split over two events, each with their own focus.

The first day focused on the huge array of electric passenger vehicles available. Visitors were able to enjoy a choice of test drives in all the latest models, with most new cars on the market available to view with a wide range of test drives available. The Trinity Park perimeter track was busy the whole day with visitors making use of the fantastic opportunity to try all the cars they were considering. Additionally, there was an autonomous bus taking visitors for a ride with no driver and no steering wheel, allowing passengers to experience a true robot taxi for the first time.

When not test driving, there were fascinating discussions going on inside the conference centre as well as stands with experts on hand to answer queries about technology, charging solutions and finance techniques to run the car you want, covering all aspects of the EV ownership experience in one place. There were interviews on GenX Radio which was broadcasting live from the event all day, the official launch of the Plug in Suffolk Car Clubs, and even biscuits in the shape of car!

Thursday saw a change of emphasis, with the far side of Trinity Park taken over by lines of Electric HGV’s, vans, and trucks. Representatives from various business sectors were able to see and test drive how advanced electric freight haulage has become and learn how the future is here, now. There were also trade talks from representatives and influencers from the industry which gave a fascinating insight into how this is going to shake up the transport sector in the foreseeable future. Overall, the day was a revelation of how something that was considered impractical just a few short years ago, is now seen as inevitable and businesses are on the edge of this revolution.

Many thanks to our delivery Partners at EVdriver and Ground Transport Group, as well as our Hosts at Trinity Park who all did such a fantastic job of bringing this first-of-its-kind event to reality.

Go to the Ground Transport Group website to see a video of event highlights and recordings of the panel discussions. 

28 July: Newsflash - the electric car grant is back!

On 14 July, the government announced the relaunch of the electric car grant. Read all about it at GOV.uk