South Shropshire’s Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Stuart Anderson is delighted that more than £2 million has been earmarked for the delivery of electric vehicle charge-points across Shropshire. It is part of the Government’s £343 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capital Fund to support the delivery of local charge-points, especially for those without access to off-street parking.
The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced that several local authorities, including Shropshire, will be one of the first local authorities across England that can apply for the first round of funding. The LEVI Fund will ensure that the transition to electric vehicles takes place in every part of the country by supporting tens of thousands of local charge-points, especially for those without access to off-street parking. It will address regional charging inequality and ensure that no part of the country is left behind, based on a data-led allocation model to award the funding which considers factors such as the level of rurality and the number of vehicles without off-street parking within the local authority area. This funding will also help people to start local businesses and create employment opportunities for rural areas.
Stuart welcomed the funding, which he said will help to address the need for EV charging in areas with lower levels of residential off-street parking across rural communities, as EV owners who park on-street will need to rely more heavily on the public charging network. The number of public chargepoints rose by 38% over the last year and there are now over 42,000 public chargepoints, alongside hundreds of thousands in homes and workplaces. Yet, the Government estimates that, by 2030, around 300,000 public charge-points will be needed as a minimum. As a recent report from the National Infrastructure Commission points out, if charge point deployment continues to grows at around 30% per year, the 300,000 expectation will be met.
In addition, the Government is supporting EV uptake in rural areas across the UK through grants to support home, workplace, and destination charging. This includes the EV Chargepoint Grant for owner occupiers of flats, renters, and landlords, as well as for businesses through the Workplace Charging Scheme. Grants of up to £350 are available towards the purchase and installation of a charge-point. To find out how to apply, please visit www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-grants-for-low-emission-vehicles.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “I am delighted that more than £2 million has been earmarked to support the delivery of electric vehicle charge-points across Shropshire. This funding will help to address regional charging inequality, ensuring that the transition to electric vehicles can take place in every part of the country including the most rural.”
Decarbonisation Minister Jesse Norman said: “Electric vehicles will play a crucial role in helping the UK to decarbonise transport and reach net zero. Today’s measures will deliver tens of thousands of chargepoints across the country, boosting the economy and creating skilled jobs.”
