In order to jumpstart the transition to electric cars and
tackle the climate emergency Labour will invest £3.6 billion into
a mammoth expansion of the UK’s electric vehicle (EV) charging
networks.
Labour’s rapid roll out of charging stations will eliminate
concerns over driving range and lack of electric car charging
infrastructure by providing enough electric charge points for
21.5 million electric cars - 65% of the UK’s fleet - by 2030.
This would double the number of electric cars that the
Conservatives are planning for by 2030.
The networks will be made up of ‘en-route’ Ultra-Fast
charge stations along motorways, and a mixture of ‘about town’
Rapid and Ultra-Fast charge stations in more urban
environments.
Electricity will be generated from renewable sources and
distributed by Labour’s publicly owned grid and newly created
National and Regional Energy Agencies. These bodies will also
oversee the roll out of the EV charging networks and create up to
3,000 new jobs for electricians and network engineers.
These plans will create the infrastructure necessary to
transition the UK away from fossil fuel driven cars to low-carbon
electric cars - tackling climate change and boosting the UK’s
automobile industry.
Labour has also announced plans
for:
-
2.5 million interest free loans for the purchase of
electric vehicles.
-
A scrappage scheme for fossil fuel cars over ten
years old saving buyers £2,000.
-
Thirty-thousand electric cars into UK streets to be
accessed via publicly owned Community Car-sharing
Clubs.
On the expansion of the UK’s EV charging networks
charging Shadow Secretary for BEIS, said:
“The Tories have sat on their hands as air pollution poisons our
children and the climate emergency intensifies. Their inaction on
electric charging infrastructure has held back the transition to
cleaner vehicles and put our industry behind the curve.
“Labour is ready to jumpstart an Electric Car Revolution. We will
roll out electric vehicle charging infrastructure to every city,
town and village, and along our motorways.
“Under Labour, nobody buying an electric car needs to worry about
running out of fuel. ”
Ends
Notes to Editors
- The top concerns preventing people from purchasing
electric cars today are ‘driving range anxiety’ (26%) and
‘lack of electric car charging infrastructure’
(22%).
- The government is not investing appropriately into
electric charging infrastructure to even meet its own targets,
which foresee 50-70% of new sales being electric cars by 2030.
The Government’s Road to Zero strategy has been criticised by the
CCC for falling short.
- The roll out will deliver 70,000 ‘About Town’
charging banks at 50kW and less, and 2,600 ‘En-Route’ charging
banks at >50 kW.
- This is double the roll-out estimated by the CCC to
meet the government’s current limited electric vehicle targets –
because Labour's policies will deliver twice the electric cars on
the road by 2030.
- The charging points will be installed by Labour’s
new National Energy Agency and Regional Energy Agencies as set
out in Labour’s report Brining Energy Home.
- The expansion of fast charging networks will be run
alongside upgrades to the grid taken on by Labour’s National
Energy Agency and Regional Energy Agencies under Labour’s plans
to take the grid into public ownership.
- The £3.6 billion will be sourced from Labour’s
National Transformation Fund of £250bn investment over ten years.
The costs are based on Climate Change Committee and Deloitte
estimates for the roll out of electric cars. Labour is aiming for
21.5 million EVs by 2030, and the funds will cover all hardware,
installation, grid upgrade and system costs.
