The UK’s energy regulator Ofgem has announced a £300 million investment for over 200 low carbon projects to get the country ready for more electric transport and heat. It will be invested in new infrastructure that will support 1,800 new ultra-rapid EV charging points at motorway service areas.
A further 1,750 EV charge points will be supported in towns and cities. The investment will be delivered in the next two years and is part of a much bigger plan to ensure Britain has the energy infrastructure it needs to support the move to low carbon transport.
Jonathan Brearley, chief executive of Ofgem, says: “This £300 million down payment is just the start of building back a greener energy network which will see well over £40 billion of investment in Britain’s energy networks in the next seven years. The payment will support the rapid take up of electric vehicles which will be vital if Britain is to hit its climate change targets. Drivers need to be confident that they can charge their car quickly when they need to. We’re paving the way for the installation of 1,800 ultra-rapid charge points, tripling the number of these public charge points. Drivers will have more charging options for longer journeys.”
Rachel Maclean, UK Transport Minister, adds: “I warmly welcome today’s news from Ofgem, which will greatly improve the resilience of our charging network as we build back greener. With more than 500,000 electric cars now on UK roads, this will help to increase this number even further as drivers continue to make the switch to cleaner, greener vehicles.”
Ofgem has also indicated that it will allow billions more investment and better use of flexible technologies and innovations for the local electricity networks from 2023.
