New Government measures have been launched today to accelerate the roll out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country.
As part of the Government’s Plan for Drivers, new grants will be available for schools, councils will receive extra funding and new proposals will boost the number of chargepoints.
New grants will be available to state-funded schools, colleges, nurseries and academies, providing up to 75 per cent of the cost to buy and install chargepoints, up to £2,500 per socket, up from £350.
The new Workplace Charging Scheme aims to boost the chargepoint facilities for staff and allow academic institutions to make them available to the public, helping them generate revenue.
The Government has spent more than £2billion on the EV rollout
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The Government is also delivering the £381million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (Levi) Fund to local authorities across the country.
More than £14million has already been delivered to charging projects in East Sussex, North Yorkshire and two London boroughs.
It is hoped that the funding will help see the installation of thousands of extra chargers and ensure the rollout of the public EV network continues pace with new vehicle sales.
Through the new investment, almost 100 dedicated “EV officers” have been recruited to support local authorities in developing their charging network.
Anthony Browne, Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, said: “We’re getting on with delivering our Plan for Drivers, and this latest set of measures will mean EV owners everywhere benefit from easier and more convenient access to chargepoints.
“This Government has already spent over £2billion to ensure a smooth switch to EVs, and we’re committed to supporting drivers as we transition towards net zero in a proportionate way that doesn’t burden working people.”
With the additional funding, the Government is also launching the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (EVI) training course.
This will be available to local authorities and their officers and is expected to be rolled out further from mid-March following the conclusion of a successful trial.
According to Zapmap, there are 55,301 charging devices across the UK at over 31,400 locations, with 1,436 new chargers added to the database in January 2024.
There are expectations that the 100,000th EV charger will be installed next year and the Government will meet its target of 300,000 by the end of the decade.
Minister for the School System and Student Finance at the Department for Education Baroness Barran said: “This is an exciting opportunity for schools across England to become part of an ongoing move towards a greener public sector.
“Schools engaging with this grant will be supporting the development of green infrastructure, helping to improve their local environments.
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There are more than 55,300 public EV chargers around the UK
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“Developing a greener education estate is a key element of our sustainability and climate change strategy.
“The expansion of this grant supports our ambition to improve the sustainability of our schools in the ongoing move towards net zero."