Encouraging sustainable and active travel
Performance reflections
The Council had initially increased our number of Electric Vehicles (EV’s) in a number of areas in 2025 to 2026, but we had a few vehicles written off in accidents and one section removed part of their vehicle fleet so numbers overall reduced. We will submit a bid of up to £1 million for depot charging infrastructure to address the challenges associated with electrification at our primary depot in Whitley. This will include exploring options to increase the site’s power capacity through discussions with National Grid.
If all vehicles were required to charge simultaneously, an estimated upgrade of 3.5 MVA would be required; however, the introduction of smart charging technology could reduce this requirement to approximately 700 kVA. The site currently operates on a 250 kVA connection, and we will work with National Grid to identify viable options to increase capacity.
In parallel, we will review the vehicle replacement programme and develop robust cost models to demonstrate the whole life costs of transitioning from diesel to electric vehicles, actively encouraging a move away from diesel where operationally practical.
All the Electric Vehicle chargers are installed according to the programme. All chargers are operational, however, there are major issues with the rapid charger Charge Point Operators (CPOs) as there has been multiple cable thefts.
Usage of the Electric Vehicle chargers is showing an upward trend as expected - usage increased by more than the total number of chargers increased in the last year, indicating increasing use of existing chargers.
Out of Coventry residents responding to the most recent National Highways and Transport Network (NHT) resident satisfaction survey, 71% of all say that access is easy, and 69% of respondents with a disability say that access is easy - improved percentages from the previous survey.
Data on proportion of trips in and/or out of the city centre by light vehicles is taken from TfWM's bi-annual cordon count and is the combined mode share of cars, taxis and other light vehicles. The 3 % fall since 2023 has been driven by increases in the proportion of journeys made by bus (+2%) and by cycling (+1%), while the figures for rail has remained consistent.
Action taken in year
Even where grant funding has been secured to support upgrades to our charging infrastructure, it is likely that additional financial commitment will be required to accelerate the transition to an electric fleet. This will necessitate clear corporate commitment, including increases to the fleet budget and capital investment in charging infrastructure, to enable the full transition of the vehicle fleet.
We are currently in contractual conversations with the Charge Point Operators (CPOs). To improve the usage of the chargers, CPOs are looking at marketing options with the Council.
A number of things are done that support the accessibility of the transport network, including: maintenance of footways, crossings, and dropped kerbs, ensure a consistent and accessible standard across the network; works (utilities, highways, developments) are coordinated to minimise obstruction and maintain accessibility during roadworks’; improvements to accessibility are aligned with wider transport strategies, including active travel, bus service enhancements, and public realm schemes.
Key actions, which are likely to have impacted proportion of trips in/out of the city centre by light vehicles include the rollout of the electric bus fleet and the construction of new segregated cycleways.
Other initiatives this year:
- implementation of the all-electric bus city programme
- delivery of cycleways, School Streets and safer crossings
- progression of Coventry Very Light Rail, including the test track introduced in 2025