CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
Joined up thinking
New EVs keep on coming onto the UK market, with no signs of the influx slowing anytime soon. But how is the infrastructure to support them all shaping up? By Natalie Middleton
CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
Joined up thinking
New EVs keep on coming onto the UK market, with no signs of the influx slowing anytime soon. But how is the infrastructure to support them all shaping up? By Natalie Middleton
The Government has announced a £63m investment package to break down barriers to electric vehicle ownership and boost charging infrastructure across the UK. The major EV investment – which follows ongoing calls from EV stakeholders for support – will streamline charging for families, fleets/businesses and the public sector.
Funding includes a £25m scheme to support home charging for households without driveways. Full details are still be announced but it will connect more homes and local authorities with cross-pavement technology that will allow cables to run safely beneath pavements, enabling more EV drivers to tap into cheaper domestic electricity rates.
On the fleet side, the Government is also launching a major grant scheme to help businesses install charging points at depots nationwide, supporting the nation’s heavy goods vehicles, vans and coach drivers in the transition to zero emissions.
The NHS in England also gets a major sustainability upgrade with an £8m fund to power the electrification of ambulances and medical fleets across over 200 NHS sites, saving £120m in costs, which can be invested into patient care. The Department for Transport also said the NHS would get 1,200+ new charging sockets.
In a final prong under the new funding, the Government is also modernising EV charging signage on major roads. Immediate changes will allow EV charging hubs – which have more than doubled since the beginning of 2023 and now stand at over 82,000 charging points – to be signposted from motorways and major A-roads for the first time.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Our investment is about more than just charging points – it’s about charging up Britain’s economy. I’m proud that through this boost, we are helping deliver cheaper bills for families, massive savings for the NHS to reinvest in patient care, and thousands of new green jobs.”
“Our investment is about more than just charging points – it’s about charging up Britain’s economy”
Heidi Alexander
Transport secretary
Fleet and charging sector reaction
Logistics UK’s deputy policy director, Michelle Gardner, welcomed the announcement of the Depot Charging Scheme, which will support operators looking to install the infrastructure needed to charge electric vehicles swiftly and effectively. But, echoing recent SMMT findings that truck and van operators can wait up to 15 years for depot charging connections, she warned that challenges still exist for the logistics sector on the road to decarbonisation.
“The public charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles is still woefully underpowered and requires an effective plan to ensure it is scaled rapidly,” said Gardner. “To address wider challenges with depot charging, our sector must be prioritised for grid connections with high and opaque costs being addressed. We will be maintaining close contact with government over the coming weeks to ensure that these issues are addressed at pace.”
Kerbo Charge said the cross-pavement charging grant would make a huge difference to motorists. The company’s co-founder, Michael Goulden, stated the company was delighted by the news of the government grant for cross-pavement charging solutions. “The ability to charge safely, cheaply and conveniently at home will make a huge difference to these motorists and should significantly boost the rate of EV adoption,” he commented. “Kerbo Charge has a waiting list of 12,000 drivers all desperate to have one of our channels installed outside their home, but are currently unable to do so either because of affordability or because their local authority has not yet authorised it.
“This funding announcement addresses both of these issues head-on, demonstrating the Government’s backing for cross-pavement charging and subsidising the cost for tens of thousands of UK households,” added Goulden.
Signs of progress
Edmund King, AA president, welcomed the action to make EV charging signage more visible. “There are more public chargers than people realise, but they are often hidden in plain sight. Increasing signs for the public network is vital to help the EV transition as it will create confidence for drivers both now and in the future.
“It is great to see more support for those without off-street parking so that they can also benefit from the EV revolution,” he added.
The rollout of clear, official signage will help EV drivers easily locate public charging points while on the move and Delvin Lane, CEO, InstaVolt, said the move would improve consumer confidence and bolster EV adoption. “Our opinion research suggests that the rollout of clear, official signage will make a significant difference – helping EV drivers easily locate public charging points while on the move, and reassuring those considering making the switch to electric vehicles,” reasoned Lane.
Ian Johnston, chief executive at Osprey, said that signage impacts all the UK’s drivers because consumers need to see it to believe it. “Osprey has tirelessly highlighted the benefit that clear EV road signage would bring to drivers looking to make the switch and to the charging businesses installing the critical infrastructure underpinning transport decarbonisation.
“This is a welcome first step and we look forward to continuing to work closely with ministers and officials to achieve clear signage for the hundreds of high-quality EV charging hubs being opened across the nation.”
John Lewis, CEO of Char.gy, said: “A change in the signage rules and regulations for CPOs is very welcomed by not only Charg.gy, but also the entire industry. The clearer the signs, the better the consumer confidence.”
The on-street charging network also greeted the Government’s announcement of £25m funding for cross-pavement charging solutions. “With over 4,000 Char.gy charge points already live and 6,000 more on the way in Brighton & Hove, the largest rollout of its kind in the UK, the message is clear: drivers, industry and government are all backing the shift,” added Lewis. “One in four people are now going electric. As CPOs, it’s our responsibility to ensure the infrastructure keeps pace.”
More good news grant-ed
Meanwhile, the Government has also announced a £650m grant that will slash electric car prices, saving UK households up to £3,750 when they upgrade or switch to fully electric cars. Dubbed the Electric Car Grant, it arrives more than three years after the Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG) was axed and follows widespread calls for action to support consumer take-up of EVs.
As with the former PiCG, the new Electric Car Grant (ECG) will be available at the point of sale for new eligible electric cars – consumers will not be required to fill in any additional paperwork to receive the grant. But this time it’s targeted at affordable cars, priced at or under £37,000.
The scheme is expected to be up and running as soon as carmakers start successfully applying for their zero-emission cars to be part of the grant scheme – applications opened on 16 July, with funding available until the 2028/29 financial year.
The Government said the ECG will back UK and other manufacturers, with “eligibility dependent on the highest manufacturing sustainability standards”. Available grant amounts are based on sustainability criteria, with the greenest vehicles in band one receiving up to £3,750 and band two vehicles receiving up to £1,500.
To qualify, vehicles must meet the following technical standards, as a minimum:
• be an M1 passenger vehicle (used for the carriage of passengers)
• produce 0g CO₂/km at the tailpipe
• have a minimum battery range of 100 miles WLTP
• have a battery or fuel cell, used to drive the vehicle’s propulsion system, with an acceptably low rate of degradation
• have a warranty that guarantees the following:
- in respect of any traction battery, hydrogen fuel cell stack or hydrogen tank and electric drivetrain, a warranty period of at least 8 years, or a distance of at least the first 100,000 miles, whichever is reached first
- in respect of any traction battery, providing for replacement of the battery if it falls below 70% capacity during the first 8 years
- in respect of any fuel cell, the fuel stack must maintain at least 90% of its rated voltage output for the initial 5 years
- in respect of the remainder of the vehicle, covering a warranty period of at least 3 years, or a distance of at least the first 60,000 miles, whichever is reached first
The ECG requires manufacturers to have committed to a verified Science-Based Target (SBT) and have embodied carbon scores below a certain threshold. Vehicles made by manufacturers that have not set an SBT will not be eligible for the scheme.
