EV infrastructure is at the heart of government plans to ensure a smooth transition to EV ownership before the ban on new petrol and diesel cars in 2030. The disparity in the number of EV charging points in areas of the UK is a major concern as vehicle owners struggle to overcome the main reason that acts as a deterrence to buying an EV… range anxiety.
A new £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund has been established, together with an £15 million additional fund for the On-Street Residential Charging Scheme (ORCS), with the aim of increasing the number of charging facilities available to EV owners.
The most recent announcements support the government’s goal to stop selling petrol and diesel cars vehicles by 2030 and to require that all new vehicles be totally emission-free by 2035.
Tens of thousands of extra chargers will be installed nationwide thanks to the investment. The new strategy aims to accelerate the number of charge points built and help society transition to a greener future. Transport is one of the key industries for achieving net zero by 2050, according to Transport Secretary Mark Harper, “We must speed up our efforts to decarbonize how people get from point A to point B, while expanding our economy and fostering thousands of green jobs.”
In addition to the new funding, the government has announced fresh ideas for a mandate on zero-emission vehicles. Parliament will establish minimum yearly goals for the proportion of new car and van sales that must be zero emission starting in 2024.
The news builds on the advancements achieved in the switch to electric vehicles, with over 17% of new automobiles sold last year being zero emission vehicles.
