The UK Government has announced an additional £2.5 million in funding for on-street residential EV charge points.
Announced by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today (Monday 12th August), the increased figure doubles the previous commitment from the government, and looks to improve access to EV charging infrastructure for those that don’t have off-street parking.
Money will support the on-street residential chargepoint scheme, which was launched in 2017, and provides funds to local authorities to install on-street EV charge points. Systems such as conventional posts, retractable posts, and lamppost conversions are all readily on the market.
The scheme has seen 16 local authorities apply for funding to install 1,200 new charge points this year. On-street EV charging is a key factor for many in the overall uptake of electric vehicles, and will help the UK move towards its target of net zero emissions by 2050.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “It’s fantastic that there are now more than 20,000 publicly accessible chargepoints and double the number of electric vehicle chargepoints than petrol stations, but we want to do much more.
“It’s vital that electric vehicle drivers feel confident about the availability of chargepoints near their homes, and that charging an electric car is seen as easy as plugging in a smartphone. That’s why we are now doubling the funding available for local authorities to continue building the infrastructure we need to super-charge the zero emission revolution – right across the country.”
