Westminster’s push for electrification continues, with drivers in the Midlands soon to benefit from an additional 16,000 EV chargepoints thanks to a funding boost from central government.
The region has around 10,000 public chargers at present, but that number will more than double over the coming years following an announcement that local authorities will be receiving £40.8m to help with the roll out of new sockets.
The Department for Transport has not stated whether the 16,000 chargers will be to individual plugs or dedicated standalone units with multiple cables, but the £40m being earmarked equates to just £2,500 per item. That’s some way off the £50,000 or so each ultra-rapid (150kW+) chargepoint unit comes in at, before installation and connection costs are factored in.
Announcing the funding, Lilian Greenwood, Minister for Future of Roads, said that “Electric vehicles will power growth, cut emissions and improve lives”, while highlighting that “making charging as seamless and easy as possible” is key to encouraging drivers into electric cars, “especially for those without a driveway.”
Stalling EV sales have been a sticking point for ministers as the 2030/5 ban on the sale over new petrol and diesel cars draws ever nearer, and manufacturers failed to hit 2024’s mandate that 22% of all cars sold from new be electric.
Private buyers in particular continue to favour petrol and hybrid cars, although February’s registration figures revealed this demographic, which comprised 35.6 of the market, bought 20.6% of all electric cars, compared to 2024 when just one in 10 new EVs went to a private individual. Last month’s increase was thought to be driven by motorists seeking to escape forthcoming changes to the road-tax system, which will add over £2,000 to the cost of many EVs from April.
