Government pledges major increase in electric car chargers by 2030

08 Apr 2022

Electric vehicle owners will have access to 300,000 public charge points by the end of the decade, the government has said.

According to the Department for Transport, £500 million will be invested to hit the target. This represents a 10-fold increase on the current 30,000 public charge points across the UK.

The 2030 deadline is the same date the government aims to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, as motorists are encouraged to go electric to help the UK hit net zero by 2050.

Helping drivers without access to off-street parking will be a focus when rolling out the new charge points.

The plan, part of the government's wider Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, also highlights the need to ensure readily accessible fast charging for longer journeys.

At least 6,000 superfast charge points will be installed across England's motorways by 2035 as part of an existing £950 million commitment.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'No matter where you live - be that a city centre or rural village, the north, south, east or west of the country, we're powering up the switch to electric and ensuring no-one gets left behind in the process.'