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Government urges local authorities to take advantage of
a £4.5 million pot which could help people around the country
join the electric car revolution
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Electric Vehicle Homecharge and Plug-in Car Grant
schemes extended to help motorists make the switch to
electric
Ministers and have called for local
authorities to do more to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle
air quality after it emerged just 5 councils in the whole of the
UK have taken advantage of an electric car scheme.
In 2016 the Department for Transport launched the On-Street Residential
Chargepoint Scheme, offering funding for local authorities to
buy and install electric car charge points. But the take-up more
than a year later has been extremely disappointing, meaning
people up and down the country are being denied the opportunity
to take advantage of the technology.
The two government ministers have written to councils urging them
to take up the scheme which makes available up to 75% of the cost
of procuring and installing chargepoints. Local authorities can
fund the remaining costs through public and private sources.
Transport Minister, said:
We are in the early stages of an electric revolution in the UK
transport sector, and connectivity is at its heart.
Millions of homes in the UK do not have off-street parking, so
this funding is important to help local councils ensure that
all their residents can take advantage of this revolution.
Charge points can be anything from new points popping up on
streets to adapting existing lampposts to make the best use of
space. The money has been available since 2016 but so far only 5
councils have come forward, so there is £4.5 million still
available for them – enough for thousands of extra points.
Prepared for the electric revolution
With a host of different support schemes for electric vehicles
announced in the Autumn Statement, including a Charging
Investment Infrastructure Fund to accelerate the roll out of
charging infrastructure, and more money to help people buy
electric cars, the on-street scheme is an important part of the
toolkit.
Around a third of homes in England do not have off-street
parking, making it extremely difficult to charge an electric
vehicle overnight. As a result, on-street charge points like
those being offered through this scheme have the potential to
entice drivers to switch to electric.
Now government ministers and are writing to council leaders
to remind them about the scheme and highlight the opportunities
that making electric vehicles accessible to their residents can
bring.
The number of electric vehicles bought in the UK was up nearly
30% last year, and having committed to ending the sale of new
conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040, government
is also making sure we have the right infrastructure in place to
support drivers.
A set of schemes for electric vehicles were announced in the
Autumn Budget in November, including a further £100 million to
help consumers purchasing electric vehicles. Following that,
government is today (January 12 2018) also announcing the
extension of current grant rates for both the Electric Vehicle
Homecharge Scheme, and Plug-in Car Grant which
provides up to £4,500 to help motorists make the switch to
electric.
Our Clean Growth Strategy, National Air Quality Plan and
Industrial Strategy, all highlight the importance of electric
vehicles, which is why the Prime Minister announced
In December that the UK would host a Zero Emission Vehicle Summit
in Autumn 2018.
All this work is part of our plan to meet long-term climate
change and air quality targets and for the opportunities that new
green industries can bring with jobs and growth. With 1 in every
5 battery electric vehicles sold in Europe in 2016 already built
in the UK, we are already leading the way on the electric
revolution.
