According to the UK government ‘Electric vehicle smart charging action plan’, published in January 2023, by 2030 there will be up to 10 million electric vehicles on our roads.
More and more people are likely to switch to driving electric cars
1 in 6 of all new vehicles sold in the UK in 2022 were electric and currently an estimated 70% of EV drivers have a dedicated charge point at home. The number of people with at home charging facilities is likely to drop over time as those without the ability to have their own charging point due to property type, location or tenancy make the switch to driving electric cars.
Higher demands for public charging stations
This means there will be a higher demand for public charging stations. Currently installing a home charger can cost up to £1500 but this is dependent on the speed of the charger and the location of installation. The UK government is currently offering grants of up to £350 through its OZEV scheme towards the cost of installing chargers for private properties with on-street parking (both owned and rented homes). Some EV manufacturers also offer reduced cost installation or free charging infrastructure as part of purchase or lease deals.
Scotland is leading the way on charging stations per capita
The Scottish Government, via Transport Scotland, has aimed to provide electric vehicle drivers with confidence that they would be able to access public charge point on journeys across Scotland. Since 2013 the Scottish Government, has invested over £45m in the development and expansion of the ChargePlace Scotland Network, delivering over 1,800 public charging points. This has coincided with the Tourism Project Board of the North Highland Initiative launching the ‘North Coast 500’ in 2015. The North Coast 500 is a scenic route around the highlands of Scotland, successfully promoting tourism to some of the most rural parts of the country with a reported increase of 29,000 more people visiting the area in its first year. Investment in public EV charging has not only made the area more accessible to tourists, bringing economic growth to rural communities, but has also given local residents the opportunity to more easily transition to driving electric cars.
Hampshire has already taken some initiatives to grow the number of charging stations
Hampshire County Council have implemented the ‘Southern Regional Framework for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure’ which offers support to the public sector to find funding opportunities and work in collaboration with energy suppliers. They are working to encourage local companies to use workplace charging within their private car parks for their members of staff, by supporting access to grants through the Workplace Charging Scheme. It is a voucher-based scheme that provides support towards the up-front costs of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charge points on private land.
Supporting rural communities is part of Action Hampshire’s DNA
We know that often rural communities are more likely to experience challenges accessing services due to poor public transportation and distance. This can lead to rural isolation and loneliness. Rural transport is key to making sure communities stay connected so it’s important we raise our voice about issues impacting transport.
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