The long-awaited Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund has finally been used to install an EV charger in a move that could unlock thousands of locations across the UK and help motorists find their local charger.

Chargepoint operator char.gy has partnered with Brighton and Hove City Council to install the first EV charger on Zapmap using money from the LEVI Fund.

The new charger, at 28 Lawrence Road, Brighton, was delivered less than two months after the contract was signed, after Labour announced that it would be removing red tape from installations.

Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood confirmed that drivers and businesses would no longer require planning permission to install an EV charger.

The LEVI-funded char.gy EV charger in Brighton is now available on Zapmap

The Brighton and Hove installation is the first part of a full LEVI concession contract, with plans for 10 more chargers across the region, which are scheduled to begin next month.

At least £32million has been given to all regions of England, aside from the North East, which received just £22.4million through the LEVI Fund.

John Lewis, CEO of char.gy, said the operator was proud to deliver the charger using money from the LEVI Fund, adding that it would make a huge difference for motorists.

The charger can be found on Zapmap, the UK's largest EV charging platform, with drivers being able to see how many plugs there are and the status of availability.

The EV charger at 28 Lawrence Road is the first LEVI-funded charger on Zapmap

Mr Lewis added: "Our focus is on providing reliable, affordable and convenient EV charging for the residents who need it right now, and we won't be slowing down. This is a win for sustainability and for the local community."

Brighton and Hove Council recently selected char.gy to deliver more than 6,000 lamppost chargers over the life of the contract.

This will include 1,800 accessible lamppost chargers over the next three years, with the project being supported by the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund.

The project, which is believed to be the biggest EV street charging infrastructure project in the UK, has been valued at a staggering £130million.

Commenting on the installation, Councillor Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport and city infrastructure, said Brighton and Hove was "leading the way" in providing drivers with an efficient way to charge their vehicles.

He continued: "I look forward to seeing more new charge points in the coming weeks and months, helping us to provide clean, affordable and low-carbon transport for people in Brighton and Hove."

The total value of the LEVI Fund is £381million and has recently come under scrutiny amid fears the money was not being used effectively enough to install chargers.

The LEVI Fund aims to deploy thousands of chargers across the UK through local, low-power chargers and accelerate the local charging infrastructure sector.

Around 6,000 EV chargers will be installed across Brighton and Hove as part of the LEVI-funded project

Data from Zapmap shows there are 85,163 chargers across the UK, with more than 120,000 devices at almost 43,000 locations.

Since August last year, the public charging network has grown by an impressive 25 per cent, with experts hoping the UK will see the installation of 300,000 chargers by the end of the decade.

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and COO of Zapmap, said: "We're delighted to see the first LEVI-funded charger go live on Zapmap. People without access to off-street parking want as close an experience as possible to at-home charging, and these char.gy installations do just that for drivers in Brighton and Hove.

"LEVI-funded projects deliver charging infrastructure at scale and we're looking forward to seeing more going live as part of the overall picture of destination, en-route and near-home charging."