£20 million EV charge point boost to benefit UK drivers
More than 1,000 new EV charge points to be installed across the country under a new pilot scheme known as Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI).
Through a new pilot backed by £20 million of government and industry funding, EV drivers are set to have increased access to public charge points.
Through an innovative scheme known as the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme, local authorities and industry will work together to install new faster on-street charge points and larger petrol-station style charging hubs, improving the commercial EV infrastructure for residents without dedicated off-street parking. These facilities will be available to all EV drivers.
The rollout supports the government’s drive to encourage more motorists to go electric, which can save drivers money on fuel and running costs, and improve air quality as the country moves towards net zero.
The pilot is backed by £10 million of government funding shared among the 9 winning local authorities in the first tranche of the planned £450 million scheme, with winning pilot bids supported by an additional £9 million in private funding. A further £1.9 million will come from public funds across local authorities.
The winning areas are; Barnet, Dorset, Durham, Kent, Midlands Connect (with Lincolnshire as a lead authority), North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk and Warrington. It is expected that the funding will generate more than 1,000 new public chargepoint installations.
The scheme will help residents without private driveways to have better access to EV chargers, as well as growing the charging network across the country. This also supports the ambition to increase the nation’s uptake of zero emission vehicles and enabling more people to drive and charge without fear of being caught short, no matter where they are.
Decarbonisation Minister, Trudy Harrison, said:
“We want to expand and grow our world-leading network of EV charge points, working closely with industry and local government, making it even easier for those without driveways to charge their electric vehicles and support the switch to cleaner travel.”
“This scheme will help to level up electric vehicle infrastructure across the country, so that everyone can benefit from healthier neighbourhoods and cleaner air.”
Edmund King OBE, AA president, said:
“It is essential that more on-street chargers are delivered to boost the transition to zero emission vehicles for those without home charging.”
“This injection of an extra £20 million funding will help bring power to electric drivers across England from Durham to Dorset. This is one further positive step on the road to electrification.”
RAC head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes, said:
“We know that there are many drivers who do not have driveways or any form of off-street parking, so investing in streetside charging is an absolute necessity. Drivers can also look forward to the prospect of local charging hubs which will give them somewhere to quickly charge their vehicles without needing to drive any considerable distance. The goal must be to spark electric vehicle uptake by creating an excellent charging infrastructure that caters for everyone’s needs.”
The scheme will allow local authorities to provide feedback on how to grow the network and the role the private sector can play.
The new LEVI fund builds on the success of the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) which has seen nearly 2,900 charge points installed so far with funding provided for approaching 10,000 additional charge points in the future.
Following growing demand from local authorities, the Department for Transport is also announcing a further £10 million in funding which has been brought forward for this year, bringing this year’s ORCS funding to £30 million to help maintain ongoing installations.
Resource:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/drivers-to-benefit-from-20-million-ev-chargepoint-boost
