Labour has unveiled £10million in fresh funding for electric car owners to support the rollout of new chargers to help motorists switch away from petrol and diesel vehicles.
Drivers across the UK are being backed by new investment that could speed up the installation of EV chargers along motorways and major A-roads.
It comes as the Government confirmed that it had seen a 23 per cent increase in the number of EV chargers over the last year.
Electric car owners across the country can use more than 86,000 public chargers, with estimates suggesting there could be more than one million chargers at homes or workplaces.
The £10million funding could see electric vehicle charging devices operate without large grid connections, or even function off-grid.
Experts have long warned that the switch to electric vehicles could pose issues to the national grid, especially if millions of cars are charging at the same time.
However, with the new funding, the investment could help overcome grid constraint challenges and allow more chargers to be rolled out.
The Department for Transport outlined that the chargers could be installed along the strategic road network and in rural areas.
READ MORE: Motorists without driveways could save £250 as Labour plans to slash red tape on home EV chargers
Labour has committed £10million for innovative EV charging solutions
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Motorists living outside of urban areas have struggled with accessing EV chargers, prompting many to complain that they didn’t have the confidence to make the switch away from petrol and diesel.
Private charging operators are being invited to apply for a share of the funding to develop “innovative energy sources and technologies enabling existing energy supplies to go further”.
Potential solutions could include using renewable energy and solar energy storage systems to avoid expensive grid upgrades at locations where it may be more difficult.
Keir Mather, minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation, said: “We’re powering up the future of driving with £10 million for cutting-edge tech to get more chargepoints on motorways and major A-roads.”
There are more than 86,000 public electric vehicle chargers around the UK
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PAThe Labour MP for Selby added that more than 25,000 drivers had already taken advantage of the Government’s Electric Car Grant.
Motorists can save up to £3,750 off the list price of a new electric car, with the Government pledging £650million in funding for the scheme.
Companies that want to apply for the funding need to have at least 12 electric vehicles to access ultra-rapid charging, which can deliver around 120-145 miles of range in just 15 minutes.
The Government will allow companies to apply for the funding through the Innovate UK website until March 25.
Reacting to the additional funding, Vicky Read, chief executive of ChargeUK, praised the Government for the increased investment and outlined the benefits for drivers.
She said: “Constraints on grid connections are one of the major bottlenecks for the rollout of EV charging infrastructure, and there is already a lot of innovation by charge point operators looking to overcome this challenge.
“This new funding will boost that innovation, helping charge point operators in their aim to provide high-quality charging across the strategic road network in a way that is more flexible and beneficial to the grid.”
Labour announced in October that it would be cutting red tape for motorists to install chargers at their homes if they do not have a driveway.