On March 25, 2022, the U.K. government announced plans to create 300,000 public electric vehicle charging points by 2030—in just under eight years’ time. It plans to invest £1.6 billion (about $2,095,432,000) in this effort through its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy plan.
While we can’t say whether the early benefits touted by the government will come true, such as that “charging will become easier and cheaper than refueling a petrol or diesel car,” the hope is clearly there that this happens. As fuel prices continue to rise, the likelihood of significant cost savings definitely increases.
If you’re concerned about broken or inaccessible charging points—as has already been observed with some charging stations already in use—there’s a plan for that, too. Operators, for example, will legally be required to provide a 99 percent reliability rate at their rapid charge points, in a move intended to boost customer confidence. Additionally, operators must provide real-time data, allow customers to compare prices and use contactless cards for payment, as well as use apps to locate nearby charge points.
“No matter where you live – be that a city center or rural village, the north, south, east or west of the country – we’re powering up the switch to electric and ensuring no one gets left behind in the process,” U.K. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said in a statement.
“The scale of the climate challenge ahead of us all is well known and decarbonizing transport is at the very heart of our agenda. That’s why we’re ensuring the country is EV-fit for future generations by the end of this decade, revolutionizing our charging network and putting the consumer first,” he added.
In addition to the U.K. government’s plans and funding, petroleum offshoot bp pulse took the opportunity to also announce that it will spend an additional £1 billion (or about $1,309,425,000) on its own EV infrastructure plans. These include high-speed charging hubs, home charging services, and enhancements of existing digital technology.
As to how all the public and private sector plans will come together, the U.K. government also announced that it plans to launch an automotive roadmap, to show the exact steps that all parties involved will take toward larger decarbonization goals. It did not give a timeline for this roadmap, nor provide any further details. So, concerned citizens will need to wait and see what’s delivered when it finally arrives.
