UK government invests in charging network
The British government has outlined plans to increase the number of public EV chargers tenfold by 2030, which would see the equivalent of “five times the number of fuel pumps” roadside.
The 300,000 new chargepoints are stated to come as part of an expansion to the government’s ‘Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy’ by some £1.6bn, with £500m in-hand to provide, “high quality, competitively priced chargepoints to communities across the UK”.
This comes on top of the existing ‘Rapid Charging Fund’ with 6,000 ‘super-fast’ chargepoints earmarked for English motorways by 2035. “Clean transport isn’t just better for the environment but is another way we can drive down our dependence on external energy supplies,” said the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, during the announcement on 25 March 2022. “It will also create new high-skilled jobs for our automotive and energy sectors and ultimately secure more sustainable and affordable motoring for all.”
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) boss Mike Hawes added: “Consumers already have certainty about the vehicles, with ever-increasing choice, thanks to billions of pounds of manufacturer investment, but charging infrastructure must keep pace with the rapid growth of sales of these cars. “The EV infrastructure strategy points in the right direction, addressing problems with the current customer charging experience and setting out a nationally co-ordinated, locally delivered plan which aims to ‘build ahead of need’.”
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GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES £1.6BN FOR EV CHARGEPOINTS
The Government has announced a ‘tenfold expansion in chargepoints by 2030’, with a £1.6 billion pledge to provide ‘convenient, affordable and reliable’ electric vehicle charging for all. Around 300,000 new chargers are expected by the end of the decade, with increased support for people without access to off-street parking. Its significant investment will form part of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, which intends to make charging an EV ‘easier and cheaper than refuelling a petrol or diesel car’. It will also bring in new legal requirements for chargepoint operators, ensuring motorists are able to pay using contactless transactions, compare charging prices, and find nearby chargepoints via apps. £500 million will be invested in bringing “high quality, competitively priced public chargepoints to communities across the UK.” £450 million of this will be made up of a Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, aimed at boosting projects such as EV hubs and on-street charging, ‘so those without driveways don’t miss out on cleaner transport.’ The remaining £50 million will be directed towards staff to work on ‘local challenges and public chargepoint planning – ensuring that any development complements all other zero emission forms of travel, such as walking and cycling.’ The plans also require a 99% reliability rate at rapid chargepoints, to ensure they are ‘world-class and give consumers confidence in chargepoints that work wherever they travel.’