To increase electric vehicle (EV) ownership, hundreds of millions are being invested in councils and communities.

LEVI fund for councils

The Local Electric Vehicle (LEVI) fund is being rolled out to a further 44 councils following the approval of the first five local authority applications in February this year. This funding forms part of the £381 million that the government has dedicated to councils enabling them to establish EV chargepoints.

The 44 councils are set to receive £185 million to help its residents charge their vehicles, and according to the Minister for Affordability and Skills Amanda Solloway, this funding aims to make it easier for drivers to switch to electric vehicles.

Plan for drivers

In addition to the council funding, the government is also striving to assist those without driveways or dedicated parking spaces to make the switch by including them in its Plan for Drivers. The £350 grant also now becomes available to residents who have access to adequate street parking, providing them up to 75% off the cost of purchasing and installing a chargepoint. However, applicants must have permission from their council before installing a cross-pavement charging solution.

EV infrastructure forum

Then ensuring there is continued collaboration between government and industry, the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Forum has been launched, chaired by ministers and AA President, Edmund King, which will discuss how best to tackle barriers and accelerate the delivery of charging infrastructure.

Council EV infrastructure training

To further help councils deliver EV infrastructure, the government-funded electric vehicle infrastructure training course has been launched in full following a successful trial. The course is open to all local authorities and will cover key topics from technology to procurement. LEVI funding has already helped to place almost 150 dedicated EV officers in councils to support chargepoint planning and delivery.

The new UK car market

To date, there are 56,983 public chargepoints now installed across the UK – a 47% increase compared to this time last year. According to industry statistics, fully electric vehicles accounted for over 16% of the new UK car market in 2023.

Key to all of this is the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate that came into law at the beginning of 2024. According to the government, this is the most ambitious regulatory framework for the switch to electric vehicles of any country in the world. The ZEV mandate requires 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain to be zero emission by 2030, and 100% by 2035. The government believes this law provides certainty to both consumers and the industry regarding the EV market, at the same time safeguarding skilled UK jobs within the car industry.

Eroding EV driver hesitation

Edmund King OBE, AA president, states: “AA surveys show that one of the main reasons why many drivers are hesitant towards switching to EVs is the perception that there are not enough charging points. To give confidence to drivers now and for the future, we need to overcome these barriers, which will help unlock cleaner, greener motoring for all. Extending grants to those without off-street parking is a step in the right direction.

“I’m also proud to be co-chairing the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Forum as I’m committed to helping consumers transition to zero-emission vehicles and an efficient, affordable, accessible charging infrastructure is key to that. I’m also confident that the UK’s brilliant charging and automotive industry can deliver and play a key part in the UK’s net zero ambitions.”