The Government has announced that twelve projects are to receive £37 million to transform electric chargepoint infrastructure, and to support the creation of innovations including wireless charging technologies.
Innovations set to receive investment include solar-powered forecourts, underground charging systems, and electric vehicle wireless charging systems.
The news comes on the anniversary on the Government’s Road to Zero strategy, which has driven a 60 per cent increase in battery electric vehicle registrations this year, compared to the same period in 2018.
Commenting, Future of Mobility Minister Michael Ellis MP said: “We’re charging up the transport revolution and investing in technologies to transform the experience for electric vehicle drivers.
“Ensuring the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles is reliable and innovative is encouraging more people to join the record numbers of ultra-low emission vehicle users already on UK roads.”
Projects to receive funding include:
- Smart city consultancy Urban Foresight is to receive over £3 million to roll out ‘pop-up’ chargers, which are built into the pavement and provide a charging solution for electric vehicle drivers without access to off-street parking;
- A renovation project installing chargepoints in car parks to allow for mass charging at night;
- A project leveraging existing Virgin Media physical and online infrastructure to deliver cost-effective and widespread charging, using high speed internet connections to better share information online on charging processes and parking spaces;
- A cutting-edge storage and advanced electronics project that will deliver semi-rapid charging using a low power grid connection minimising the need for costly substation upgrades.