Electric, hybrid and low-emission carsOfgem to build infrastructure for 3,550 new ultra-rapid charging points on motorways and in towns
Britains energy regulator is investing £300m to help triple the number of ultra-rapid charging points for electric vehicles across the country, as part of efforts to accelerate the UKs shift to clean energy.
Ofgem will use the cash to build new infrastructure supporting 3,550 new ultra-rapid charging points 1,800 at motorway service stations and 1,750 in towns and cities.
The UK plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, and phase out hybrid vehicles from 2035. However, a report released by the influential Commons public accounts committee (PAC) last week showed there are huge challenges in reaching the governments target to switch all cars to net zero emissions models within the decade, partly due to poor infrastructure.
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Only 11% of new car registrations last year were for ultra-low emission cars.
The payment will support the rapid take-up of electric vehicles which will be vital if Britain is to hit its climate change targets, the Ofgem chief executive, Jonathan Brearley, said. Drivers need to be confident that they can charge their car quickly when they need to.
The CBI, the UKs top business lobby group, said on Monday the UK could unlock nearly £700bn in commercial growth opportunities by 2030 by decarbonising the global economy and growing trade as it emerges from the Covid pandemic.
Ofgem said the project would be delivered over the next two years, and benefit urban areas including Glasgow, Kirkwall, Warrington, Llandudno, York and Truro. The funding will also cover rural areas, with some charging points aimed at commuters at train stations in north and mid-Wales.
A portion of the investment will help increase renewable energy in those areas, as well as shift more homes and businesses to electric heating. The project will also aim to electrify the Windermere ferry in Cumbria.
It adds to £40bn already earmarked for cleaner energy projects over the next seven years, and Ofgem has promised there will be more to follow in 2022.
The transport minister, Rachel Maclean, welcomed the investment, saying it would improve the resilience of the UKs charging network.
With more than 500,000 electric cars now on UK roads, this will help to increase this number even further as drivers continue to make the switch to cleaner, greener vehicles, she said.
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Ofgem to build infrastructure for 3,550 new ultra-rapid charging points on motorways and in towns
