Government wants rapid charge points every 20 miles.
The Government has announced its commitment to the UK developing one of the best electric vehicle (EV) charging networks in the world.
The pledge is contained in the just published Clean Growth Strategy, leading the way to a low carbon future. In a 164-page document crammed with 50 low-carbon policies and plans, the Government has planted the seeds for a new era of green economic growth and offers major opportunities for UK plc.
The strategy will include regulation, funding and private investment. Introduced by Prime Minister Teresa May, the report states the Government has allocated an additional £80 million to support charging infrastructure deployment, alongside £15 million from Highways England, to ensure rapid charge points every 20 miles across 95 per cent of England’s Strategic Road Network.
InstaVolt’s CEO Tim Payne said: “Some of the measures have already been announced but the significance of the report is that it highlights the pathway going forward. There is now no doubting the Government’s total commitment to the sector. More than that, it will give consumers the confidence to make their own investment in an EV.”
New powers under the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill will allow the Government to set specific requirements for the provision of EV charge points or hydrogen refuelling infrastructure at motorway service stations and large fuel retailers, as well as ensuring that charge points are convenient to access and work seamlessly right across the UK.
Government investment will help bring down the cost of EVs and increase their range. Through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), £246 million will be invested over four years in the design, development and manufacture of batteries for the electrification of vehicles, as part of the ‘Faraday Challenge.”
The Government has also awarded £10 million to build UK capability in the development and commercialization of automotive battery packs. Over £70 million will be invested in the next five years to support innovation in energy storage, demand side response and other smart energy technologies. This will include up to £20 million for vehicle-to-grid products and services. This is focused on how an expanded fleet of EVs could provide network flexibility and system balancing while potentially offering benefits to bill
Energy Secretary Greg Clark Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: “We want a more modern transport system – one that is clean, affordable and easy to use. That means cutting our carbon dioxide emissions, and improving our air quality – clean air is one of the most basic requirements of a healthy environment for us all to live, work and bring up families…. We have already announced an end to the sale of all new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040… It follows that to meet our 2050 target, almost every car and van will need to be zero emission by 2050.”
Click to view the report: Clean Growth Strategy
