The UK Government are to ensure that EV owners in England, without driveways or dedicated parking spaces, can access a £350 chargepoint grant by offering it to those who own or rent and have access to adequate street parking.
EV owners will receive up to 75% off the cost of purchasing and installing a chargepoint but must ensure they have permission from their council for cross-pavement charging installation.
So far, more than 56,000 public chargepoints have now been installed across the UK, up 47% from this time last year.
Edmund King OBE, AA president, said:
“AA surveys show that one of the main reasons why many drivers are hesitant towards switching to EVs is the perception that there are not enough charging points.
“To give confidence to drivers now and for the future, we need to overcome these barriers, which will help unlock cleaner, greener motoring for all. Extending grants to those without off-street parking is a step in the right direction.”
Funding for local authorities, homeowners and renters could increase the practicality of owning an EV.
LEVI (Local Electric Vehicle) funding, totalling £381 million, continues to be delivered to councils. The first five local authority applications were approved in February and payments to 44 additional councils from Torbay to Tees Valley, totalling £185 million, have been approved.
Local authorities allocated to the second round of LEVI can apply from 2 April.
Anthony Browne, technology and decarbonisation minister said:
“This government has a plan to help speed up the installation of EV chargepoints, which we’re getting on and delivering.
“This dedicated funding to local councils is part of our plan to ensure people can switch from a petrol or diesel car to an EV when they choose to do so.”
Fully electric vehicles account for over 16% of the new UK car market in 2023. Around 56,983 public chargepoints are installed across the UK, an increase of 47% compared to this time last year.
