£56m government boost for electric chargepoint infrastructure

UK electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure is getting a much-needed boost, as councils are set to benefit from a £56m government investment.  

Announcing the news yesterday, transport minister Jesse Norman said the funding would help to deliver 2,400 chargepoints in the short term, with plans for thousands more in future.  

The news comes as the government is lagging behind on EV ambitions, with 37,055 public charging devices installed across the country as of January 2023, according to official figures. This is far behind the 300,000 the government is aiming to have in place by 2030.  

Mr Norman said: ‘The government is giving local authorities across England additional help today to energise their chargepoint roll-out plans. 

‘Today’s commitment will lead to thousands of new chargers being installed, and plans for tens of thousands extra in due course, so that more people than ever can make the transition to using EVs.’ 

Ministers say the funding will help to expand the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot, announced last year to deliver 1,000 more charging points, as well as to boost the On-Street Residential Chargepoints Scheme (ORCS). 

It’s thought this will enable councils to develop a dedicated and co-ordinated plan to deliver chargepoints and to collaborate with private operators.  

Councils have previously complained about a lack of funding and guidance, with 14% reporting that they had the necessary resources and support to install infrastructure, according to a Liberty Charge survey from last year.  

Funding will be split between local authorities and will be focused on expanding three LEVI pilot schemes in Durham, Barnet and North Yorkshire. Money will also go towards creating 16 additional pilot schemes in areas including Harborough, the West Midlands, Oxfordshire and Cumbria alongside others.  

£22m of government funds will support the pilots, while an additional £17m has been sourced from private capital and £2m has been contributed from public funds across local authorities.  

The Department for Transport also announced the launch of the £8m LEVI Capability Fund which will support councils to gain the skills and ambition required to scale up EV infrastructure.  

Photo by Jenny Ueberberg