A fund of £2.5 million is being made available to install on-street EV charging points in residential areas. The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has launched the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme to help local authorities make EV ownership much easier and more accessible to the average person. The money will cover up to 75% of required capital costs and is capped at a maximum of £7,500 per twin charging station – multiple installations are strongly encouraged. Councils are invited to apply for the funding to meet current or future demand and it will be available on a first-come first-served basis. Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low, said: “The growing demand for EVs justifies greater on-street charging infrastructure and for owners that do not have access to off street charging, this public infrastructure is vital. “Annual uptake rose 29% in 2016 and we expect this strong growth to continue, so welcome all investments made in the national charging infrastructure.” The scheme compliments another ongoing support scheme, the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme, which provides up to £500 for residents wishing to install their own chargepoint. New ultra-fast charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) are set to be rolled out across Europe under a new partnership.
The European Commission has approved German plans to boost its high-speed EV charging infrastructure with am investment of €300m ($319m) over 2016. The electricity used for the infrastructure will come from renewable energy sources. In the UK, £2.5m ($3.1m) is being made available to increase EV charge points in residential areas, and councils and companies are investigating the potential for turning lampposts into EV charging points. If viable, retrofitting lampposts could cost just £2,000 each, half that of a conventional charging point. RolecEV is one of the early movers using the nascent technology.