Road to Zero lays out plans for UK wide EV chargepoints infrastructure
Government plans details of UK wide EV chargepoints infrastructure
The Governments Road to Zero strategy, launched on July the 9th gives detail on its vision for the EV chargepoints infrastructure in the UK. Despite watering down the zero emission range targets the infrastructure targets are more ambitious.
EV Legislation
The Government will increase its powers through the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill to ensure:
● that EV chargepoints are available at motorway service areas and large fuel retailers;
● that EV chargepoints are easily accessed and used across the UK. This includes powers to provide a uniform method of accessing public EV chargepoints and refueling points; make certain information publicly available in an open and transparent format and set reliability standards; and
● that EV chargepoints are smart ready by giving government powers to set requirements prohibiting the sale or installation of EV chargepoints unless they meet certain requirements.
EV Chargepoint Targets
In addition the Government aims to;
- Ensure the houses we build in the coming years are electric vehicle ready. It is their intention that all new homes, where appropriate, should have a EV chargepoint available. They plan to consult as soon as possible on introducing a requirement for EV chargepoint infrastructure for new dwellings in England where appropriate.
- Future-proof the streets. They want all new street lighting columns to include charging points, where appropriately located, in areas with current on-street parking provision.
- Continue to provide grant support through the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) until March 2019, with installations becoming smart enabled.
- Increase the grant level of the Workplace Charging Scheme from £300 per socket to 75% of the purchase and installation costs of an EV chargepoint capped at a maximum of £500 per socket.
- Review the provision of residential EV chargepoint infrastructure for those who have communal parking facilities.
- Invest £4.5 million in the On-street Residential EV Chargepoint Scheme until 2020.
- Consult, in summer 2018 on a proposal to increase the height limit for the Permitted Development Right in England for the installation of electric vehicle EV chargepoints in designated off-street parking spaces.
The targets are commendable but some are reliant on local government embracing the strategy. On-street and street light parking, key elements to the strategy will need co-operation with all local authorities. For this to be successful a roll-out strategy will be required to aid local authorities to understand and implement the strategy. Without support, these key initiatives will be still-born.
What do you think of this key element to the Government’s road to zero? As Electric Car owners, what are your experiences of the current infrastructure?
