7:58 am, February 21, 2023
Over 2,000 new electric car charging points are set to be installed, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.
As part of a £56m pot of cash in public and industry funding, 2,400 new charge points will be installed in locations such as Cumbria, Norfolk, Oxfordshire and West Sussex.
Sixteen more local authority areas will receive money as part of the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme.
The three original pilot schemes – in Durham, the London borough of Barnet and North Yorkshire – will be expanded.
Councils will also be given support to work with private operators towards the installation of ‘tens of thousands more’ charge points in the long term, according to the DfT.
Transport minister Jesse Norman said: ‘The government is giving local authorities across England additional help today to energise their charge point roll-out plans.
‘Today’s commitment will lead to thousands of new chargers being installed, and plans for tens of thousands extra in due course, so that more people than ever can make the transition to using EVs.’
Fewer than 9,000 public EV charging devices were installed in the UK last year, leading to claims that the infrastructure is not keeping up with demand.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, just one charge point was installed for every 53 new electric cars sold – the worst year for installations since 2020.
Recent DfT figures revealed the number of devices available for use increased by just 8,680 from 28,375 in January 2022 to 37,055 12 months later.
The department said the government has already spent more than £2bn to support the move to zero-emission vehicles.
More than a fifth of new cars sold in the UK last year had a plug.
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