Government pledges £37m to ‘revolutionise’ electric vehicle infrastructure

The government has announced today that it will invest £37m into boosting the country’s electric vehicle infrastructure to enhance the driver experience.

The Department for Transport will invest in 12 projects across the UK as part of its ‘Road to Zero’ strategy, which aims to reduce emissions from road vehicles.

The projects range from renovation schemes, solar powered forecourts and wireless charging systems to the integration of charging capabilities with existing Virgin Media infrastructure.

One company, smart city consultancy Urban Foresight, has secured over £3m to provide charging solutions for electric vehicle drivers without access to off-street parking, using ‘pop-up’ chargers which are built into the pavement.

£2.3m has also been awarded to electric charging company Char.gy as part of the initiative, enabling the firm to develop and deploy wireless charging technology on residential streets without the need for trailing cables.

Commenting on the government’s investment, Future of Mobility Minister Michael Ellis, said: “We’re charging up the transport revolution and investing in technologies to transform the experience for electric vehicle drivers.

“Ensuring the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is reliable and innovative is encouraging more people to join the record numbers of ultra-low emission vehicle users already on UK roads.”