The government has pledged £30 million towards setting up more recharging points for electric and plug-in hybrid cars across the UK.
The Plugged-In Places initiative forms the latest part of the government’s plans for the UK to become a global leader in the uptake of electric cars within five years.
Transport secretary Lord Adonis said: “The UK can be a world leader in electric and low-carbon cars. Our aim is for electric and low-carbon cars to be an everyday feature of life on UK’s roads in less than five years.
“There is still a lot of work to be done. However, Plugged-In Places is one very significant step putting us firmly on the path to a low-carbon future.”
The government is inviting cities and businesses to bid for the money, which will be used on streets, car parks and in commercial, retail and leisure facilities. Exactly how much money goes to an individual area will be based on its own requirements.
Business minister Pat McFadden is particularly keen to see businesses get involved due to the potential economic benefits of the UK being an early adopter of the technology.
“Our aim is for Britain to become a global centre for low-carbon transport development, manufacturing and delivery,” he said. “The government is backing businesses who want to help make this happen.”
Join the debate
Add your comment
Re: £30m for UK charging points
I was quite looking forward to an electric world I never liked the idea of relying on other countries for our energy. I was shocked to hear on the news this week that China has all the mines for rare soil that are need to make the current type of batteries used for electric cars. Apparently with their continued demand very little will be available for export. I hope I have misunderstood this or there is an alternative scientific / geographical solution.