Midland drivers will benefit from over 16,000 new EV chargers as the region secures more than £40 million in UK government investments.
Future Roads Minister Lillian Greenwood today confirmed that 13 Midland local governments supported by Midland Connect have received £40.8 million from local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) funds to deploy thousands of EV chargers in the region.
With over 10,000 public chargers already available throughout the Midland, today’s announcement will allow more drivers across the Midland to easily access charging close to their homes.
Once the EV charger is accessible, the switch will be driven
Funds are over £2.3 billion to help the industry and consumers switch backed by EVS.
It creates well-paid jobs, supports businesses across the country, and uses billions of pounds of industry to make the UK a clean energy superpower and realizes plans for change.
Future Roads Minister Lillian Greenwood explained:
“Deploying over 16,000 chargers across the Midlands makes driving a cheaper EV, especially for those without a driveway.
“As electric vehicles continue to provide plans for change, we will reduce emissions, reduce and improve emissions in the Midlands and beyond.”
The new EV Charge Points will boost charging infrastructure throughout the Midlands, including small towns and rural areas, allowing EV owners and those looking to switch to drive with confidence that they can always approach the charge point, wherever they live.
Growth of UK public charging networks
The announcement follows a particularly positive week for electric vehicles, with £120 million confirmed to help drivers and businesses buy zero-emission vans, taxis and electric motorcycles.
Last week, the department also announced it has deployed more than 1,400 EV charge points in schools, over 59,000 chargers in offices and workplaces nationwide, improving access to public charge points and improving charging EVs around people’s daily lives.
The UK’s public ChargePoint network continues to grow every day, with over 74,000 public chargers now available nationwide, with nearly 20,000 added in the last year alone.
With £200 million announced in the 2024 budget, continuing to deploy EV chargers and continuing private investments of £6 billion in pipelines, the UK charging network will continue to add hundreds of thousands of chargers to the future.
This helps provide a resilient infrastructure, allowing EV owners to drive with confidence that they are always close to a charge point.
Current status of EV intake in the UK
Over 382,000 EVs were sold in 2024, reaching fifth place the previous year. The UK is Europe’s largest EV market.
There was no good time to switch to an electric car. Three used electric cars cost less than £20,000, while electric cars cost less than £21 for less than £30,000.
Also, owning an EV is becoming increasingly cheaper, and drivers can save up to £750 a year compared to gasoline when they mostly charge at home.
The average range for new electric vehicles is currently 236 miles – for most people it drives for about two weeks – during which time it releases a third of the greenhouse emissions of gasoline vehicles over their lifetimes.
With a 24/7 helpline, contactless payments and the latest public ChargePoint location, charging is easier than ever.
“We hope that by installing more public EV chargers, we will not only support those who already have electric vehicles, but also encourage others to move towards purchasing,” said Councillor Mark Baylis, a Cabinet member for Highways and Transport for Worcestershire County Council.
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