Local authorities are being urged to take advantage of a £20m cash injection to boost the number of on-street EV chargepoints in towns and cities across the UK.
In a letter to councils across Britain, transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced that funding for the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) will continue into 2021/22, allowing residents without private parking to charge their EV.
Since its inception in 2017, more than 140 local authority projects have received funding from the scheme, which has supported applications for nearly 4,000 chargepoints across the UK.
According to the Department for Transport (DfT), this latest funding boost could double that, adding nearly 4,000 more chargepoints in towns and cities.
In partnership with Energy Saving Trust, the DfT is accepting applications from councils yet to apply for funding, as well as those that have already received funding.
Nick Harvey, senior programme manager at Energy Saving Trust, said: “This funding will allow local authorities to install convenient and cost-effective electric vehicle charging infrastructure for those who rely on on-street parking.
“This helps to support the fair transition to the increased adoption of low carbon transport.
“We’re therefore encouraging local authorities to access this funding as part of their plans to decarbonise transport and improve local air quality.
The UK government has pledged to invest a total of £1.3bn in EV charging infrastructure over the next four years.
