Drivers across the Midlands will benefit from more than 16,000 new EV chargers as the region secures over £40m in UK Government investment.
Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood confirmed today that 13 local authorities across the Midlands, supported by Midlands Connect, have received £40.8m from the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to roll out thousands of EV chargers across the region.
With over 10,000 public chargers already available across the Midlands, today’s announcement will provide many more drivers across the Midlands with easy access to charging near their homes.
Making EV chargers accessible will drive the switch
The funding comes on top of over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
This is creating high-paid jobs, supporting businesses up and down the country and tapping into a multi-billion pound industry to make the UK a clean energy superpower and deliver the Plan for Change.
Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood explained: “Making charging as seamless and as easy as possible is crucial to making the switch to electric a success.
“Rolling out over 16,000 chargers across the Midlands will make driving an EV cheaper and easier, especially for those without a driveway.
“Electric vehicles will power growth, cut emissions and improve lives in the Midlands and beyond as we continue to deliver our Plan for Change.”
The new EV chargepoints will boost charging infrastructure across the Midlands, including in smaller towns and rural areas, ensuring that EV owners and those looking to switch can drive with the confidence they will always be close to a chargepoint, no matter where they live.
Growing the UK’s public charging network
The announcement follows a particularly positive week for electric vehicles, with £120m confirmed to help drivers and businesses buy zero-emission vans, taxis and electric motorcycles.
Last week, the department also announced it has rolled out more than 1,400 EV chargepoints at schools and over 59,000 chargers at offices and workplaces across the country, improving access to public chargepoints and fitting charging an EV around people’s everyday lives.
The UK’s public chargepoint network continues to grow every day, with over 74,000 public chargers now available across the country and a record of nearly 20,000 added last year alone.
With £200m announced at the 2024 Budget to continue powering the rollout of EV chargers and £6bn of private investment in the pipeline, the UK’s charging network will continue to see hundreds of thousands of chargers added in the coming years.
This will help deliver resilient infrastructure so that EV owners can drive with the confidence that they’re always close to a chargepoint.
The current state of EV uptake in the UK
With over 382,000 EVs sold in 2024 – up a fifth on the previous year – the UK is the largest EV market in Europe.
There’s never been a better time to switch to an electric vehicle, with one in three used electric cars under £20,000 and 21 brand new electric cars under £30,000.
Owning an EV is also becoming increasingly cheaper, with drivers able to save up to £750 a year compared to petrol if they mostly charge at home.
The average range of a new electric car is now 236 miles – that’s about 2 weeks of driving for most people – all the while emitting just one-third of the greenhouse emissions of a petrol car during its lifetime.
With 24/7 helplines, contactless payments, and up-to-date public chargepoint locations, charging has now become easier than ever.
Councillor Marc Bayliss, Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, concluded: “It’s hoped that installing more public EV chargers will not only support those who already have an electric vehicle but also encourage others to make the move towards purchasing one.”
