UK Transport Secretary announces £70 million for more EV chargers
A £70 million pilot scheme was launched by UK Transport Secretary Mark Harper on Wednesday (6th December) which will power up motorway service areas to pave the way for ultra-rapid electric vehicle chargepoints.
Speaking on COP28 Transport Day in Dubai, Mr Harper laid out plans for up to ten trial sites in England with boosted electrical network capacity – ensuring electricity network capacity is future-proofed for at least ten years, to 2035.
The rapid chargepoint announcement, part of the Government’s ambitious Rapid Charging Fund, will cover a portion of the costs of upgrading the electricity grid at successful motorway service areas, ensuring that the private sector can continue to expand the charging network and providing consumers more confidence to choose EVs.
Mr Harper said that the government is working with the private sector to provide robust chargepoint infrastructure as part of its Plan for Drivers and paving the way for more ultra-rapid chargepoints.
“This £70 million pilot scheme is the starting point and sends a message to consumers and industry that we are investing wisely and rapidly to grow the future of transport in the UK” said Mr Harper.
Motorway service areas are strategically important as regularly spaced stopping points along the motorway. Investment here addresses the need for a highly visible and dependable longer-distance charging network to support drivers and to accelerate future EV purchases. The pilot, which is being delivered by National Highways, will help gather evidence to inform the design of a full fund.
Wednesday also saw the launch of a ten-week consultation seeking views from a range of stakeholders including chargepoint operators, motorway service area operators, and electricity suppliers, on where chargers are needed most and how best to design the Rapid Charging Fund.
In other news, alongside the pilot launch, the UK and the US are teaming up to announce a competition to develop green shipping corridors between both countries. The US is the UK’s second largest direct partner when it comes to international maritime trade - with over 40 million tonnes of maritime trade carried out last year. Launching next year, the initiative builds upon the UK's successful partnerships with the likes of Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, solidifying the journey towards zero-emission shipping.
When the UK hosted COP26 in 2021, it announced the Clydebank Declaration for Green Shipping Corridors, where signatories declared ambitions to implement zero-emission shipping routes. It was announced this week that new shipping corridors will be forged between the Republic of Korea, Lithuania, and the United Arab Emirates, taking its membership to 27.
“Green shipping corridors will play an important part in decarbonising shipping, especially on major routes such as the UK-US” said UK Chamber of Shipping CEO Sarah Treseder. “To be successful they require dedicated infrastructure across the corridor to ensure that vessels can access low and zero emission fuels as well as facilities such as shore side power. We look forward to working with the UK and US governments, as well those involved in the competition, to turn this project into a blueprint for how to create a successful green corridor.”
Monday (5th December) saw the launch of the world-first Global ZEV Transition Roadmap, designed to improve understanding and accessibility around the international push to de-carbonise road travel, and to more clearly lay out the financing available to developing economies and new markets. It commits to an annual update at future COP events, helping to map the transition to cleaner travel on a global scale and ensure no country is left behind.
It comes in the same week that the House of Commons agreed (December 4th) the percentage of new zero emission cars and vans manufacturers will be required to produce each year up to 2030. This has also been backed by over £2 billion Government investment, and rapidly-expanding charging infrastructure, which the government claims has already grown 42 percent on last year – a rate that puts us well on the way to 300,000 by 2030.
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