UK councils ignore EV funding

A £4.5 million ($7.8 million) pool allocated by the UK government to fund electric vehicle charging stations has gone virtually untouched by local councils, according to two government ministers.

The 2016 On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme offers funding for local authorities to buy and install electric car charge points.

But more than a year after the launch of the scheme, which makes available up to 75% of the cost of procuring and installing chargepoints, just five councils have taken advantage of the funding.

In response, Conservative Transport Minister Jesse Norman and Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry Claire Perry have urged local authorities to take advantage of the scheme, doing more to help reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.

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

“Millions of homes in the UK do not have off-street parking, making it extremely difficult to charge an electric vehicle overnight, so this funding is important to help local councils ensure that all their residents can take advantage of this revolution.”

The available funding is enough for thousands of extra charge points, which can be deployed as new installations or by adapting existing lampposts for optimal space efficiency.

Meanwhile the number of electric vehicles bought in the UK grew nearly 30% last year, and one in five battery electric vehicles sold in Europe in 2016 were built in the UK.

The UK government has also committed to ending the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040, making it vital that the government has the right infrastructure in place to support electric vehicles, the ministers said.

As well as the on-street charge point scheme, the government has allocated £100 million to help consumers purchase electronic vehicles and is providing up to £4500 in electric vehicle homecharge and plug-in car grants for motorists.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/janifest

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