UK councils urged to take up electric car charge-point funding

Ministers in the UK have called for local authorities to take advantage of a £4.5 million fund for buying and installing charge points after it was revealed that only 5 councils had applied.

The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme was launched in 2016 to encourage electric vehicle (EV) uptake among drivers who do not have off-street parking. Around a third of homes in England do not have off-street parking and the majority of these are in cities, where EV uptake would be most beneficial. The fund makes available up to 75% of the cost of procuring and installing chargepoints and with the majority of the fund untouched, there is enough to support thousands of extra points. As the shift to EVs accelerates, the UK government is making sure that the right infrastructure is in place to support drivers.

Transport Minister, Jesse Norman, said:

‘We are in the early stages of an electric revolution in the UK transport sector, and connectivity is at its heart.

‘Millions of homes in the UK do not have off-street parking, so this funding is important to help local councils ensure that all their residents can take advantage of this revolution.’

With more support for EVs announced in the Autumn Statement, the on-street charging scheme is an important part of coordinated effort encouraging motorists to go electric. As well as the opportunities for jobs and economic growth that the electric revolution can offer, it is an important part of the UK's long-term climate change and air quality targets. This is especially important following a recent evaluation of the UK’s Clean Growth Strategy, which highlights the role of low-carbon transport in meeting their emissions targets.

Source: story first published by UK Department for Transport on 12/01/2018