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Aimed at making charging easier and cheaper than refuelling with petrol or diesel, a £1.6bn investment will fund an expansion to 300,000 public chargepoints by the end of the decade – almost five-times the number of fuel pumps available.
New legal requirements were also announced for operators, allowing drivers to pay by contactless, compare charging prices and find nearby chargepoints via apps.
The strategy aims to create a ‘robust, fair’ charging network that covers the entire country, with a focus on drivers without access to off-street parking, and fast charging for longer journeys.
The existing £950m Rapid Charging Fund will support the rollout of at least 6,000 high powered super-fast chargepoints across England’s motorways by 2035.
The announcement comes in the same week that chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a cut in fuel duty of 5p per litre, amid record high prices related to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Clean transport isn’t just better for the environment, but is another way we can drive down our dependence on external energy supplies,” said prime minister Boris Johnson. “It will also create new high-skilled jobs for our automotive and energy sectors and ultimately secure more sustainable and affordable motoring for all.”
Battery and hybrid vehicles now account for one-in-four of all cars sold in the UK, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). EVs benefit from lower fuel, running and maintenance costs, and the government strategy hopes to encourage drivers across the nation to make the switch.
The UK’s most-used charging network company, BP Pulse, also announced its own plans to spend £1bn on developing charging infrastructure, reportedly supporting hundreds of new jobs. Senior vice-president Richard Bartlett said: “This £1bn investment is vital to provide the charging infrastructure the UK needs. We’re investing to build a world-class network.
“This investment allows us to deliver more – more high-speed charging in dedicated hubs and on existing fuel and convenience sites. More home charging services. And crucial enhancements to our digital technology that will make charging fast, easy and reliable.”
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