The U.K. government announced that it plans to increase the number of electric car charges in the country ten-fold. The government pledged that it will deploy 300,000 EV chargers by 2030.
The decision to increase the number of electric car chargers came after the U.K. government was criticized because the rollout of the chargers is too slow to match the rapid growth in sales of electric vehicles.
U.K. Government to Increase E.V. Chargers in the Country
The Department for Transport or DFT said that it would invest $593 million to reach this goal, alongside hefty sums of private capital. The sales of new vehicles and vans with petrol and diesel engines will be banned from 2030.
In February, it was reported that there are around 420,000 electric cars on U.K. roads, according to the Next Green Car. However, there were only 29,600 public points in the U.K. as of Mar. 1, according to Zap-Map.
Also Read : England to Introduce Legislation That Will Require Newly Built Homes and Office to Have E.V. Chargers
The local electric vehicle infrastructure fund would focus on charger stations and on-street chargers. B.P., a UK-based oil company, also confirmed spending $1.3 billion on new charger infrastructure as part of its plans to diversify revenues.
The company relies on fossil fuels for its profits and is under pressure from investors and activists to show how it will reach net-zero carbon emissions.
U.K.'s Prime Minister Boris Johnson linked the move to electric cars to the push to reduce dependence on fossil fuel supplies from foreign countries.
Fuel prices have hit record highs, with Russia's war on Ukraine expected to add more to a cost of living crisis because of global reliance on its exports of gas and oil.
Johnson said that clean transport is not just better for the environment but is another way that they can drive down their dependence on external energy supplies.
Sales of Electric Vehicles
The car industry has complained that the government is not doing enough to provide electric car chargers, meaning many customers were holding back from purchasing battery-electric cars for fear of being unable to charge in the middle of a trip, according to Independent.Co.
The sales of electric cars made up 18% of new-car registrations in February, according to the lobby group Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders or SMMT.
London and the southeast of England have better access to public chargers than the developing parts of the U.K., although many electric car owners are likely to rely on private chargers at their homes.
The bosses of car companies responded with relief to the U.K. government's pledge, which added to previous plans to invest $1.2 billion in rapid chargers. However, the SMMT's chief executive, Mike Hawes, said he wanted binding targets on the charger rollout.
Hawes said that charging infrastructure must keep pace with the rapid growth of sales of electric vehicles.
Deploying the chargers nationally, the expansion would give drivers confidence that they will be able to charge as easily as they would refuel, wherever they are.
Aside from deploying the electric chargers, car companies also want the government to address issues with the chargers' ease of use, which can require separate accounts. More work is needed in rural areas to make isolated charging stations feel safer.
In June 2020, electric vehicles first made their way in the U.K.
In 2021, the U.K. government approved the electric vehicle grant as the country pushed for more E.V. purchases.
Related Article: UK EV Drivers Mock Petrol Cars as Gas Shortage Continue Its Problem on Local Areas
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Written by Sophie Webster
