Devon County Council (DCC) has given the go-ahead to instal 2,000 new charge points across the county after receiving a £7m government grant to boost local electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.

DCC’s cabinet approved the scheme to instal the charge points by 2030, including the South Hams, “with a focus on residential charging”, as recommended by the Devon EV Charging Strategy.

The grant from the department for transport’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund is reportedly one of the largest in the country.

In a statement, DCC said the scheme was “good news for residents who want to be able to charge vehicles closer to their properties”, saying it will include trials of both charge points built into street lampposts as well as underground channels “to avoid cables trailing across pavements”.

The move comes after DCC recognised that a key barrier to the uptake of EVs is the availability of suitable charging infrastructure, particularly as the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is set to end in 2035.

Although more than 300 charging point sockets have already been installed in Devon, currently about 180,000 households in the county do not have access to off-street parking and cannot charge EVs at home.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, DCC’s cabinet member for highway management, said it was important that charging infrastructure was “readily available” to support the shift towards net zero.

He said: “An increasing number of car parks in Devon now have EV charge points in place, but for those in rural areas or without a front drive, access to charging points remains a barrier.”

“I know there are concerns cables could trail across pavements and I’m pleased to say that we are looking at ways to stop this from happening,” he added, pointing at the trials DCC intends to carry out.

South Hams drivers who are considering switching from a traditional internal combustion engine car (ICE) to an EV but are concerned about range anxiety will welcome the news.

South Hams District Council (SHDC) recently highlighted the challenges faced by EV users, particularly in more remote areas, in a 24-page report.

It warned that due to the geography of the area and population distribution, there was a risk that more rural locations could be left behind in the move to fully transition to EVs in the South Hams.

As the type of charger also depends on grid capacity, installing banks of fast and rapid chargers in more remote areas is also potentially more complex.

According to recent SHDC figures, there are currently about 900 EVs registered in the district, up from just over 100 at the end of 2018.

By next year, that number is expected to increase to more than 5,300 - up by 7.65 per cent.

EVs accounted for 20.5 per cent of all UK car sales in September, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, but car makers have also warned that EV sales in Europe have recently stalled.