Increased help for schools to install electric vehicle chargepoints that could be made available to the public are among a series of measures announced by the government to encourage motorists to switch from petrol and diesel cars.
The school scheme – announced by technology and decarbonisation minister Anthony Browne on Monday – will make grants of up to 75% of the cost of installing charging stations, up to £2,500 per socket. Funds had previously been available, but only up to £350 per socket.
Although the facilities are intended largely for staff and visitors, the Department for Transport says they could be made available to motorists to help schools generate revenue.
The DfT says schools and other educational institutions applying for the grant must have dedicated off-street parking facilities.
The government also says it has approved payments under its Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund for three local authorities - in Bedford, East Sussex and North Yorkshire - and the London Boroughs of Hackney and Hounslow. It says the payments, worth a total of £14.2 million, will support the installation of thousands of new chargers.
It maintains that almost 100 electric vehicle officers have been recruited and paid for by the LEVI fund to help local authorities deliver on their charging projects.
The government is also launching a consultation into ways of speeding up chargepoint installation across the country, including by giving operators the right to carry out street works using a permit rather than a licence. The government says this could cut the process of applying for permission to fit equipment from months to days, reducing costs and increasing the pace of chargepoint rollout.
Browne said the initiatives announced this week would give EV owners “easier and more convenient” access to chargepoints.
“This government has already spent over £2.2 billion to ensure a smooth switch to EVs, and we’re committed to supporting drivers as we transition towards net zero in a proportionate way that doesn’t burden working people.”
