UK Government announces new funding for EVs

The UK Government has announced a £37m (US$57.1m) funding package that will benefit drivers with plug-in electric vehicles (EVs). The funding for the new package comes from the government’s £400m (US$617.5m) commitment to increase the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles and is available until April 2015. The government will provide 75% of the cost of installing new charge points, which can be claimed by: people installing chargepoints where they live; local authorities installing rapid charge points to facilitate longer journeys, or providing on-street charging on request from residents who have, or have ordered, plug-in vehicles; and train operators installing new charge points at railway stations.

The government has also pledged up to £3m (US$4.6m) to support the installation of chargepoints on the government and wider public estate by April 2015. It has also made a commitment to review government buying standards, which are mandatory for central government departments, in order to lower the fleet average CO2/km of new cars and encourage the uptake of plug-in vehicles in central government. The package also includes previously-announced funding to expand the Energy Saving Trust’s plugged-in fleets initiative in England, which will help a further 100 public and private sector fleets to understand and identify where ultra low emission vehicles could work for them.

UK Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said, “This investment underlines the government’s commitment to making sure that the UK is a world leader in the electric car industry. Plug-in vehicles can help the consumer by offering a good driving experience and low running costs. They can help the environment by cutting pollution. And most importantly of all, they can help the British economy by creating skilled manufacturing jobs in a market that is bound to get bigger.”

20 February 2013