The UK government is to increase the number of charge points for electric vehicles around the country as part of a new £20 million pilot scheme.
The project, which will be jointly funded by the government and the private sector, will create more than 1,000 new EV charge points. It is part of a wider £450 million programme to improve the UK’s charging infrastructure.
The Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme allows local authorities and industry to work together to create new, commercial EV charging infrastructure, including faster on-street charge points and larger petrol station-style charging hubs.
Nine local authorities have won their bids to take part in the initial pilot scheme: Barnet, Dorset, Durham, Kent, Midlands Connect (with Lincolnshire as a lead authority), North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk and Warrington.
Trudy Harrison, who is the UK’s decarbonisation minister, said: “We want to expand and grow our world-leading network of EV charge points, working closely with industry and local government, making it even easier for those without driveways to charge their electric vehicles and support the switch to cleaner travel.”
This scheme is also intended help to “level up” electric vehicle infrastructure across the country.
Edmund King, president of the AA motoring organisation, added: “It is essential that more on-street chargers are delivered to boost the transition to zero-emission vehicles for those without home charging.”