By Henry Saker-Clark
Electric vehicle charging station. Hand charging an electric car (EV) with the power cable supply plugged in.Flare light effect. ENERGY regulator Ofgem has said it is investing £300 million to expand the UK’s electric vehicle charging network. The watchdog said the funding – which is part of a wider £40 billion commitment – will go towards more than 200 low-carbon projects across the UK to help the country prepare for more electric transport. It said it will partly support installing cables needed to launch “1,800 new ultra-rapid charge points”, tripling the current network.
READ MORE: A further 1,750 charging points will be installed in towns and cities across the UK, it added.
Electric car. Picture: Pixabay LLANDUDNO is to benefit following a huge investment in Wales electric vehicle charging network. Ofgem, the energy regulator, has approved 17 net zero projects worth around £12 million across Wales. These shovel-ready, low carbon projects start this year, supporting clean transport and heat, and opening up local electricity grids to take on more low carbon generation. This is part of £300.5 million investment approved by Ofgem for net zero projects across Britain. Three key motorway service areas on the M4 and key trunk road locations across Wales will get the cabling they need to install over 500 new public charge points, including 71 new ultra-rapid charge points. Currently just 0.17 per cent of vehicles used in Wales are electric.
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“Drivers need to be confident that they can charge their car quickly when they need to.
“In the year that Glasgow hosts the Cop26 climate summit, the energy networks are rising to the challenge and working with us and partners to accelerate projects that can start now, benefiting consumers, boosting the economy and creating jobs.”
Transport minister Rachel Maclean said: “I warmly welcome today’s news from Ofgem, which will greatly improve the resilience of our charging network as we build back greener.
“With more than 500,000 electric cars now on UK roads, this will help to increase this number even further as drivers continue to make the switch to cleaner, greener vehicles.”
Energy regulator Ofgem will invest £300million to install more charging points for electric cars in cities and motorways across the country in a welcome infrastructure boost, it was announced today.
The watchdog said it will triple the network of ultra rapid charging points at motorway service areas and key trunk road locations by installing 1,800 new ones, with a further 1,750 earmarked for towns and cities.
These are the devices with the quickest charge times, capable of boosting batteries to 80 per cent in around half an hour or less.
The funding will be used to give Britain’s cables, substations and other infrastructure a massive upgrade to cope with the increased demand for electricity.