“This £1 billion investment is vital to provide the charging infrastructure the UK needs,” said Richard Bartlett, Senior Vice President, bp pulse.
The UK’s charging network got a huge boost today as the government unveiled plans to help the UK market reach 300,000 public electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints*** by 2030. This is the equivalent to almost 5 times the number of fuel pumps on UK roads today.
Backed by £1.6 billion, under the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, charging will become easier and cheaper than refueling a petrol or diesel car, while new legal requirements on operators will see drivers of EVs able to pay by contactless, compare charging prices and find nearby chargepoints via apps, the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) said.
The new strategy sets out the government’s aim to expand the UK’s charging network, so that it is “robust, fair and covers the entire country, as well as improving the consumer experience at all chargepoints, with significant support focused on those without access to off-street parking, and on fast charging for longer journeys. £500 million will be invested to bring high quality, competitively priced public chargepoints to communities across the UK. This includes a £450 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, which will boost projects such as EV hubs and innovative on-street charging, so those without driveways don’t miss out on cleaner transport,” OZEV said.
“Ambitious and innovative chargepoint operators are already committed to installing an additional 15,000 rapid chargepoints across England’s entire road network, a quadrupling of the current offer, and over 100,000 on-street chargepoints by 2025,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
“ We’re powering ahead with plans to help British people go electric, with our expanding charging network making journeys easier right across the country. Clean transport isn’t just better for the environment but is another way we can drive down our dependence on external energy supplies. It will also create new high-skilled jobs for our automotive and energy sectors and ultimately secure more sustainable and affordable motoring for all.” Johnson said.*
The government is mandating that operators provide real-time data about chargepoints. It is “ensuring that consumers can compare prices and seamlessly pay for their charging using contactless cards. They will also be able to use apps to find their nearest available chargepoint.”
The plans will also require a 99% reliability rate at rapid chargepoints to ensure they are world-class and give consumers confidence in finding chargepoints that work wherever they travel – helping eradicate so-called ‘range anxiety’.
Even in the current Putin war environment, EVs still benefit from lower fuel, running and maintenance costs than gasoline and diesel equivalents. Production costs also continue to fall and some analysts expect purchase price parity with petrol and diesel cars to be reached well within the 2020s in the UK. Overall this is part of wider government plans to reduce the UK’s reliance on imports of foreign oil, improving the security of its energy supply and reducing the country’s vulnerability to volatility in global energy prices.
“The EV infrastructure strategy points in the right direction, addressing problems with the current customer charging experience and setting out a nationally coordinated, locally delivered plan which aims to ‘build ahead of need.’ The UK already has an enviable and ever-growing rapid charging network, so focus must be given to expanding public on-street and destination charging provision,” commented Mike Hawes, SMMT** chief executive. (The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders)
“There are already many billions of pounds of private investment committed for the deployment of charging infrastructure across the UK from leading networks like Osprey, and the announcements today will allow this funding to provide the critical infrastructure to the areas that are as yet underserved – notably the motorway service areas and the Local Authority towns and cities across the nation. We look forward to working with the government to help bring this strategy to life, delivering a high quality, inclusive, open-access and reliable charging network that’s worry free, comfortable and enjoyable to use,” said Ian Johnston, the CEO of Osprey Charging.
* This is the first in a series of roadmaps that will be published over the course of the year for each sector of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan, showcasing how the UK is delivering on its green commitments. The roadmap brings together the government’s policies designed to help and support the automotive sector in the shift towards greener transport and will help businesses plan more effectively in the transition to a zero-emission future.
** SMMT: The automotive industry is a vital part of the UK economy, and integral to supporting the delivery of the agendas for leveling up, net zero, advancing global Britain, and the plan for growth. It contributes £60 billion in sales and £12 billion in value added to the UK economy, and invests around £3 billion each year in R&D. With more than 155,000 people employed directly in manufacturing and some 800,000 across the wider automotive industry, it accounts for 11% of total UK exports with more than 150 countries importing UK produced vehicles, generating more than £73 billion of trade. More than 30 manufacturers build more than 70 models of vehicle in the UK, supported by more than 2,500 component providers and some of the world’s most skilled engineers. The automotive sector also supports jobs in other key sectors, including advertising, chemicals, finance, logistics and steel. Many of these jobs are outside London and the South-East, with wages that are around 25% higher than the UK average.
***charger – under the “two nations separated by a common language dictionary clause” – editor.
UK Plans to Up EV Chargers to 300K by 2030.
“This £1 billion investment is vital to provide the charging infrastructure the UK needs,” said Richard Bartlett, Senior Vice President, bp pulse.
The UK’s charging network got a huge boost today as the government unveiled plans to help the UK market reach 300,000 public electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints*** by 2030. This is the equivalent to almost 5 times the number of fuel pumps on UK roads today.
Backed by £1.6 billion, under the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, charging will become easier and cheaper than refueling a petrol or diesel car, while new legal requirements on operators will see drivers of EVs able to pay by contactless, compare charging prices and find nearby chargepoints via apps, the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) said.
The new strategy sets out the government’s aim to expand the UK’s charging network, so that it is “robust, fair and covers the entire country, as well as improving the consumer experience at all chargepoints, with significant support focused on those without access to off-street parking, and on fast charging for longer journeys. £500 million will be invested to bring high quality, competitively priced public chargepoints to communities across the UK. This includes a £450 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, which will boost projects such as EV hubs and innovative on-street charging, so those without driveways don’t miss out on cleaner transport,” OZEV said.
“Ambitious and innovative chargepoint operators are already committed to installing an additional 15,000 rapid chargepoints across England’s entire road network, a quadrupling of the current offer, and over 100,000 on-street chargepoints by 2025,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
“ We’re powering ahead with plans to help British people go electric, with our expanding charging network making journeys easier right across the country. Clean transport isn’t just better for the environment but is another way we can drive down our dependence on external energy supplies. It will also create new high-skilled jobs for our automotive and energy sectors and ultimately secure more sustainable and affordable motoring for all.” Johnson said.*
The government is mandating that operators provide real-time data about chargepoints. It is “ensuring that consumers can compare prices and seamlessly pay for their charging using contactless cards. They will also be able to use apps to find their nearest available chargepoint.”
The plans will also require a 99% reliability rate at rapid chargepoints to ensure they are world-class and give consumers confidence in finding chargepoints that work wherever they travel – helping eradicate so-called ‘range anxiety’.
Even in the current Putin war environment, EVs still benefit from lower fuel, running and maintenance costs than gasoline and diesel equivalents. Production costs also continue to fall and some analysts expect purchase price parity with petrol and diesel cars to be reached well within the 2020s in the UK. Overall this is part of wider government plans to reduce the UK’s reliance on imports of foreign oil, improving the security of its energy supply and reducing the country’s vulnerability to volatility in global energy prices.
“The EV infrastructure strategy points in the right direction, addressing problems with the current customer charging experience and setting out a nationally coordinated, locally delivered plan which aims to ‘build ahead of need.’ The UK already has an enviable and ever-growing rapid charging network, so focus must be given to expanding public on-street and destination charging provision,” commented Mike Hawes, SMMT** chief executive. (The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders)
“There are already many billions of pounds of private investment committed for the deployment of charging infrastructure across the UK from leading networks like Osprey, and the announcements today will allow this funding to provide the critical infrastructure to the areas that are as yet underserved – notably the motorway service areas and the Local Authority towns and cities across the nation. We look forward to working with the government to help bring this strategy to life, delivering a high quality, inclusive, open-access and reliable charging network that’s worry free, comfortable and enjoyable to use,” said Ian Johnston, the CEO of Osprey Charging.
* This is the first in a series of roadmaps that will be published over the course of the year for each sector of the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan, showcasing how the UK is delivering on its green commitments. The roadmap brings together the government’s policies designed to help and support the automotive sector in the shift towards greener transport and will help businesses plan more effectively in the transition to a zero-emission future.
** SMMT: The automotive industry is a vital part of the UK economy, and integral to supporting the delivery of the agendas for leveling up, net zero, advancing global Britain, and the plan for growth. It contributes £60 billion in sales and £12 billion in value added to the UK economy, and invests around £3 billion each year in R&D. With more than 155,000 people employed directly in manufacturing and some 800,000 across the wider automotive industry, it accounts for 11% of total UK exports with more than 150 countries importing UK produced vehicles, generating more than £73 billion of trade. More than 30 manufacturers build more than 70 models of vehicle in the UK, supported by more than 2,500 component providers and some of the world’s most skilled engineers. The automotive sector also supports jobs in other key sectors, including advertising, chemicals, finance, logistics and steel. Many of these jobs are outside London and the South-East, with wages that are around 25% higher than the UK average.
***charger – under the “two nations separated by a common language dictionary clause” – editor.