UK to install 100,000 more electric vehicle chargepoints
Millions of drivers without a driveway will be able to charge their electric vehicles (EVs) more easily as the government and industry players are set to roll out 100,000 more local chargepoints across England.
These come on top of over 80,000 public chargepoints already available in the UK. The new chargers are being funded through the £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, the Department for Transport said.
This comes as £300 million in private investment by Believ for 30,000 new chargepoints all over the UK has been announced. This is alongside an expected £6 billion in private investment to install tens of thousands of chargepoints by 2030.
The government has been working closely with local councils to fast-track the delivery of chargepoints, with Suffolk County Council being the first local authority in England to enter into a contract with a chargepoint operator to kickstart their rollout. Many more local authorities will follow in the coming weeks and months, the department said.
“This government is powering up the EV revolution by rolling out a chargepoint every 29 minutes, and our support to roll out over 100,000 local chargepoints in England shows we’re committed to making even more progress,” said Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood.
“We’re delivering our Plan for Change by investing over £4 billion to support drivers make the switch, while backing British carmakers through international trade deals – creating jobs, boosting investment and securing our future,” she said.
The Department of Transport had previously announced that drivers and businesses will no longer need to submit a planning application to install public or private EV sockets.
The change, which took effect from Thursday (29 May), is expected to help drive electric vehicle uptake as drivers and businesses will no longer have to deal with unnecessary red tape.
