The UK Government’s vision for a recharging infrastructure to support the electric vehicle revolution has been revealed today, as Transport Secretary Philip Hammond announces the publication of a new report.
The report, called ‘Making the Connection: the Plug-In Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy’ details how the Government intends to prepare the UK for mass uptake of electric vehicles, including battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and range-extended vehicles (E-REV), as part of its strategies to reduce carbon emissions.
Announcing the release of the publication, the Transport Secretary also confirmed that the Renault Fluence will become the tenth vehicle to be eligible for the Plug-in Car Grants, worth up to £5,000, just days after its maker confirmed prices for it (see story).
The report sets out the steps the government will take, as part of a £400m programme, to support ultra low-emission vehicles as they start to arrive in the UK. Details include how the government intends to encourage most of the recharging of plug-in vehicles to happen at home, at night to help balance grid demand and reduce the need for expensive public charging points.
Philip Hammond said; “The ability to re-charge is a key part of the jigsaw in supporting the growth of the electric vehicle market. It is crucial therefore that we make the process as simple as possible.”
Though the government intends to continue to support the installation of public charging points for electric vehicles through its Plugged-in Places scheme, Mr Hammond explained that that is not expected to be central to encouraging electric vehicle uptake.
Hammond said: “Public chargepoints are part of the answer but putting a chargepoint on every corner is not the right approach. It is most convenient for drivers and best for the energy system for the majority of charging to happen at home.
Other measures to encourage EV market growth include making it easier for private enterprise to provide recharging infrastructure by removing removing the need planning permission.
The report concludes that by 2015, the UK should have tens of thousands of plug-in vehicles on the road, making it necessary to prepare for the recharging needs of such vehicles, now. To help the Government realise its vision for mass EV uptake, it is asking the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ Electric Vehicle Group, the Energy Retail Association and the Energy Networks Association to, among other things, develop recommendations by the end of the year on the most cost-effective way to ensure that recharging occurs off-peak.
