The British government is investing £ 300 million to build more electric vehicle charging stations – Jornal Económico

The UK Energy Regulatory Authority has announced an investment of £ 300 million (€ 347.5 million) to help triple the number of super-fast charging stations for electric vehicles across the country as part of efforts to accelerate the UK’s change for clean energy. The Guardian.

Ofgem will use the funds to build infrastructure to support 3,550 new cargo terminals, including 1,800 high-speed freight sites in expressway service stations. There are currently 918 super-fast charging stations across the country. The project also aims to support another 1,750 “standard” shipping companies in towns and cities.

The UK also plans to ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars from 2030, and to stop hybrid cars from 2035. However, a report issued by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last week revealed that there are significant challenges to achieving this. . The government’s goal of converting all cars to zero-emission models this decade, in part due to “defective” infrastructure.

“The boost will support the rapid uptake of electric vehicles, which will be vital if the UK is to meet its climate change targets,” said Jonathan Brierely, Chief Executive Officer of Ofgem. “Drivers need to make sure they can quickly load their cars when they need it,” he says.

The corporate lobby group CBI said the UK could unlock nearly 700 billion pounds (811.1 billion euros) in business growth opportunities by 2030, decarbonize the global economy and increase trade as it emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ofgem said the investment will take place over the next two years and will benefit urban areas, including Glasgow, Kirkwall, Warrington, Llandudno, York and Truro. The funding will also cover rural areas, with some recharge points for commuters at train stations in North and Central Wales.

Although the project is set to start in 2023, Ofgem has yet to set a deadline for its completion. It is expected that a tender will be issued to install and operate the loading sites that will work with the new cables. Part of the investment will help increase renewable energy in these regions, as well as convert more homes and businesses to electric heating.

British Transport Secretary Rachel McLean welcomed the investment, saying it would improve the resilience of the UK’s shipping network. “With more than 500,000 electric cars on the roads in the UK, this will help to increase that number even further, as drivers continue to shift to cleaner and greener cars,” said McLean.