Drivers to Benefit From £20 Million EV Charge Point Boost

Drivers will have better access to electric vehicle charge points across the country, through a new pilot backed by £20 million of government and industry funding announced today (24 August 2022).

Through the innovative Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot scheme, local authorities, and industry will work together to create new, commercial EV charging infrastructure for residents, from faster on-street charge points to larger petrol station-style charging hubs.

The rollout supports the government’s drive to encourage more motorists to go electric, which can save drivers money on fuel and running costs, and improve air quality as the country moves towards net zero.

The winners of the pilot fund are:

• Barnet
• Dorset
• Durham
• Kent
• Midlands Connect (with Lincolnshire as a lead authority)
• North Yorkshire
• Nottinghamshire
• Suffolk
• Warrington

The funding is expected to deliver over 1,000 public charge points across the areas.

The scheme will help residents without private driveways to have better access to EV chargers, as well as growing the charging network across the country, supporting the nation’s uptake of zero-emission vehicles and enabling more people to drive and charge without fear of being caught short, no matter where they are.

The pilot is backed by £10 million of government funding shared among the 9 winning local authorities in the first tranche of the planned £450 million scheme, with winning pilot bids supported by an additional £9 million in private funding. A further £1.9 million will come from public funds across local authorities.

Decarbonisation Minister Trudy Harrison said:

"We want to expand and grow our world-leading network of EV charge points, working closely with industry and local government, making it even easier for those without driveways to charge their electric vehicles and support the switch to cleaner travel.

This scheme will help to level up electric vehicle infrastructure across the country so that everyone can benefit from healthier neighborhoods and cleaner air."

Edmund King OBE, AA president, said:

"It is essential that more on-street chargers are delivered to boost the transition to zero-emission vehicles for those without home charging.

This injection of an extra £20 million in funding will help bring power to electric drivers across England from Durham to Dorset. This is one further positive step on the road to electrification."

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said: "We know that there are many drivers who do not have driveways or any form of off-street parking, so investing in streetside charging is an absolute necessity. Drivers can also look forward to the prospect of local charging hubs which will give them somewhere to quickly charge their vehicles without needing to drive any considerable distance. The goal must be to spark electric vehicle uptake by creating an excellent charging infrastructure that caters for everyone’s needs."

The scheme will allow local authorities to provide feedback on how to grow the network and the role the private sector can play.

The new LEVI fund builds on the success of the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) which has seen nearly 2,900 charge points installed so far with funding provided for approaching 10,000 additional charge points in the future.

Following growing demand from local authorities, we’re also announcing a further £10 million in funding which has been brought forward for this year, bringing this year’s ORCS funding to £30 million to help maintain ongoing installations.