UK government providing $57M funding package to support EV charging infrastructure
19 February 2013
The UK government will invest £37 million (US$57 million) for home and on-street charging and for new charge points for people parking plug-in vehicles at railway stations. The government will provide 75% of the cost of installing new charge points. This can be claimed by:
people installing chargepoints where they live;
local authorities installing rapid charge points to facilitate longer journeys, or providing on-street charging on request from residents who have or have ordered plug-in vehicles; and
train operators installing new charge points at railway stations.
The £37 million funding for the package comes from the government’s £400 million (US$617 million) commitment to increase the uptake of ultra low emission vehicles and is available until April 2015.
Specifics of the funding package are:
up to £13.5 million for a 75% grant for homeowners in the United Kingdom wishing to have a domestic chargepoint installed;
an £11 million fund for local authorities in England to install on-street charging for residents who have or have ordered a plug-in vehicle but do not have off-street parking—authorities can apply for up to 75% of the cost of installing a chargepoint;
provide up to 75% of the cost of installing rapid chargepoints in their areas around the strategic road network;
up to £9 million available to fund the installation of chargepoints at railway stations; and
up to £3 million to support the installation of chargepoints on the government and wider public estate by April 2015.
While a good idea, this will reduce the number of parking spaces available to ICE drivers at stations.
We will have yet another special category of parking after disabled, etc.
Providing subsidized charging to homes and places of work makes sense, as long as they are based on demand rather than prediction.
I.e., you buy a Leaf, you can ask for a subsidized charger.
Posted by: mahonj | 20 February 2013 at 03:15 AM
Hope that this program will include many new technology ultra fast (10 to 16 minutes for 60% to 100% charges) public charging stations.
A Tesla S-85 like EV could drive 500+ miles with only one 16-minutes charge at mid-day or mid-trip.
Near future EVs (2015/2017) will go 700+ miles with only one ultra quick (16 minutes) mid-day or mid-trip charge and match our beloved ICEVs.
Extended range EVs have a great future!
Posted by: HarveyD | 20 February 2013 at 09:28 AM