The Department for Transport (DfT) is to launch a £7.5 million scheme to support the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure at UK workplaces as part of a £35 million package announced this week.
The funding pot is to be launched this autumn and will be open to eligible private and public sector workplaces for their staff and fleet to use.
A further £2.5 million will also be made available to councils who commit to installing charge points on streets near homes without private off-street parking.
The announcement is part of a wider programme of funding which will also bring forward a £20 million competition to help local authorities roll out charge points for ultra-low emission taxis. It is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK and will give councils the opportunity to apply for funds to install charge points to be used by local taxi fleets.
Transport Minister John Hayes said: “The number of ultra-low emission vehicles on our roads are at record levels and new registrations have risen by 250% in just over two years.
“We are committing £35 million to help install new charge points and offer new grants as we aim for nearly all cars and vans on our roads to be zero emission by 2050.”
The funding is being delivered as part of the government’s commitment to invest £600 million in ultra-low emission vehicles by 2020. It will also include cash for the launch of a new scheme to encourage uptake of zero emission motorcycles and scooters, while £2 million has been awarded to public and private sector organisations to deploy hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Rumours of a workplace charging subsidy first emerged in June this year when David Martell, chief executive of Chargemaster, claimed that he had been told to expect a grant subsidy scheme in the coming weeks.
While charge point installers have pointed to significant interest in such a scheme from the business community, DfT has yet to release any details on how the funding will be allocated or which organisations will be eligible.
A spokesperson for the department said more details would be published shortly.
