Funding boost for EV chargepoints

A further 44 councils across England are to benefit from funding to boost the electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint rollout.

The government continues to deliver its £381m Local Electric Vehicle (LEVI) fund to councils, which can choose where is best to install chargepoints in their local area. 

Following the approval of the first five local authority applications in February, payments to 44 additional councils - worth more than £185m -  have now been approved to help residents charge their vehicles.

The funding will support the delivery of thousands of chargepoints across England, helping more drivers make the switch to EVs. 

Additionally, local authorities that have already been allocated to the second round of LEVI funding will be able to apply to the fund from 2 April 2024, following those who received funding in the first round.

Households without driveways or dedicated parking spaces can access the electric vehicle chargepoint grant. 

The £350 grant is being widened to those who own or rent and have access to adequate street parking. 

Providing up to 75% off the cost of purchasing and installing a chargepoint, applicants must have permission from their council to install a cross-pavement charging solution. Applications can be made online.

To help councils deliver EV infrastructure, the government-funded electric vehicle infrastructure training course will launch in full this week following a successful trial. 

The course is open to all local authorities and will cover key topics from technology to procurement. LEVI funding has already helped to place almost 150 dedicated EV officers in councils to support chargepoint planning and delivery.

Ensuring collaboration between government and industry, today also marks the launch of the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Forum. 

The forum, chaired by ministers and AA president Edmund King, will discuss how best to tackle barriers and accelerate the delivery of charging infrastructure. Wider membership will be set out in due course.

AA president Edmund King said: “AA surveys show that one of the main reasons why many drivers are hesitant towards switching to EVs is the perception that there are not enough charging points. 

“To give confidence to drivers now and for the future, we need to overcome these barriers, which will help unlock cleaner, greener motoring for all. Extending grants to those without off-street parking is a step in the right direction.”

Fully electric vehicles accounted for more than 16% of the new UK car market in 2023, according to industry statistics. 

Government and industry are working to install chargepoints at speed, with 56,983 public chargepoints now installed across the UK – a 47% increase compared to this time last year.

Technology and decarbonisation minister, Anthony Browne, said: “This government has a plan to help speed up the installation of EV chargepoints, which we’re getting on and delivering.

“This dedicated funding to local councils is part of our plan to ensure people can switch from a petrol or diesel car to an EV when they choose to do so.”