The UK government has announced that it is accelerating the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) chargers through the introduction of new grants and measures.
This includes a new grant programme for schools and nurseries, covering up to 75 percent of the cost to buy and install chargepoints.
Through this programme, state-funded schools can receive up to 2,500 GBP per socket, up from the previous 350 GBP.
By installing EV chargers, schools can increase their focus on sustainability while providing better facilities for staff and visitors. In addition, this could help schools generate revenue by making the chargers available to the public.
Minister for the School System and Student Finance at the Department for Education, Baroness Barran, said:This is an exciting opportunity for schools across the UK to become part of an ongoing move towards a greener public sector. Schools engaging with this grant will be supporting the development of green infrastructure, helping to improve their local environments.
Developing a greener education estate is a key element of our sustainability and climate change strategy. The expansion of this grant supports our ambition to improve the sustainability of our schools in the ongoing move towards net zero.
What’s more, the government is delivering its Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund for local councils. The first authorities to receive funding through this programme are in East Sussex, North Yorkshire and London. More than 14.2 million GBP has been allocated to these areas to install new chargers.
To help local authorities build a skilled workforce to install and maintain this infrastructure, the government is also launching the electric vehicle infrastructure (EVI) training course.
Additionally, it is launching a consultation to look at the best ways of further accelerating the rollout of EV chargers. Proposals include enabling EV chargepoint operators to carry out street works using a permit rather than a licence. This is because permits can be issued much faster and are cheaper to obtain.
