As part of a new £500-million (US$617-million) investment in green technologies, the UK government will set up a £400-million (US$494-million) fund to help develop rapid charging infrastructure points for electric vehicles. The first £70 million is allocated for 3,000 charge points—more than doubling the number across the UK to 5,000.

A review is currently underway to explore the provision of charge points across major road networks, meaning drivers could charge their car while stopping for a coffee at a service station. The new investment complements £1.5 (US$1.85 billion) of support to boost the uptake of electric vehicles and make cleaner vehicles more accessible to everyone. This is part of the Government’s ambition to end the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040.

Also announced was £31.5 million for research into pioneering technologies to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, and £22 million to research new kinds of air pollutants and minimize their effects on public health.

The Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will be managed and invested on a commercial basis by private sector partners, and government will invest up to £200 million to be matched by private investors.

The fund is leveraging private investment to support the rollout of charge points for electric vehicles across the UK. The initial £70-million investment has been provided by government and Masdar.