The UK Government will continue to deliver its £381m Local Electric Vehicle fund to councils, which can choose the location of EV chargepoints.
Following the approval of the first five local authority applications in February, the government is funding 44 additional councils worth over £185m to support the delivery of thousands of EV chargepoints across England.
The local authorities that have already been allocated to the second round of LEVI funding will be able to apply to the fund from 2 April 2024.
Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, Anthony Browne, said: “This government has a plan to help speed up the installation of EV chargepoints, which we’re getting on and delivering.”
Reducing the cost of EV ownership
To support those looking to switch to electric, the government is ensuring that households without driveways or parking spaces can access the electric vehicle chargepoint grant.
To make EVs a more practical option, a £350 grant will be widened to those who own or rent and have access to adequate street parking.
The funding will reduce the cost of EV ownership by providing up to 75% off the cost of purchasing and installing a chargepoint.
Applicants must have permission from their council to install a cross-pavement charging solution.
The government is set to deliver EV charging infrastructure
This week, the government-funded electric vehicle infrastructure training course will launch following a successful trial.
All local authorities have access to the course, which will cover key topics from technology to procurement.
Today also marks the launch of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Forum. The forum will discuss how best to tackle barriers and accelerate the delivery of charging infrastructure.
Easing the switch to electric
More and more drivers are switching to electric vehicles. According to industry statistics, fully electric vehicles now account for over 16% of the new UK car market in 2023.
To assist with the transition to electrification, the government and industry are working to install chargepoints at speed. There are 56,983 public EV chargepoints now installed across the UK, a 47% increase compared to this time last year.
The announcement follows the introduction of the zero emission vehicle mandate into law earlier this year.
The ZEV mandate requires 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain to be zero emission by 2030 and 100% by 2035, helping to safeguard skilled jobs in the UK car industry.
