On-street EV charge points receive funding boost

The Government has doubled the funding available for on-street residential charge points to encourage greener forms of travel as lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps says the Government will commit a further £10 million to the scheme, allowing local authorities to install up to 7,200 devices.

It is the second time that the Department for Transport (DfT) has increased the funding available after announcing it was doubling the £5m it had already committed to £10m in January.

The DfT said that further efforts to encourage drivers to make the switch include the upcoming launch of a consultation, which hopes to make charging electric vehicles (EVs) just as easy as filling up a traditional petrol or diesel car.

It will explore measures such as requiring rapid charging points – which are fundamental for longer journeys - to offer contactless payment, improving transparency on pricing and giving drivers better access to information about the charge points available on their journey.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: “The additional funding allocated for electric vehicle charging infrastructure is much needed.

“While the proportion of drivers looking at purchasing an electric vehicle as their next car choice remains relatively low, interest is increasing.

“Charging infrastructure in the UK has improved significantly, though drivers still say this remains a barrier to them choosing an electric vehicle, alongside range and comparable cost to a similarly sized conventional vehicle.”

Brighton and Hove City Council announced last year, that more than 200 new EV charge points are set to be installed across the city.

Its project is being funded with £300,000 from the Office of Low Emissions (OLEV), and £100,000 from Electric Blue.

The 207 new points will include 30 in areas with high parking demand, where the council is proposing mandatory electric charging spaces, many of them in response to requests from residents who own or are thinking of buying EVs, but have no off street parking available.