As part of the UK’s goal to reach net zero by 2050 and eliminate the production of traditional internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035, a large solution for the adoption of electric vehicles is fundamental.
We have recently covered how EV usage in the country has soared, and these recent announcements pushing fresh funding could continue to turn the tide.
The first announcement came from the Department for Transport, as it announced it would be working with a research and development agency, Innovate UK, with a £12m funding package to explore competitions for the most promising EV technologies.The funding is set to support ground-breaking projects that could open significant commercial opportunities in the sector – one of which could see future cars benefitting from a six-minute battery charge.
The next comes from Highways England as they announced a £9.3m scheme to allow businesses to try EV’s for free before committing to a purchase. The initiative will see Highways England working alongside local authorities to replace businesses diesel van fleets with a full electric replacement for a two-month trial period following a successful pilot scheme in Leeds earlier this year.
The Office for Low Emission Vehicles also had its part to play here too, as a report proposed moves to install more EV charge points at popular destinations in the country, such as tourist sites, with improved signage to indicate where these locations are.
In addition to all of this, the government have also announced they will be working with popular website Auto Trader to develop a dedicated EV section, in order to help potential buyers quickly navigate to these listings.
Both of the recent points have gained a lot of traction following a survey commissioned by Ford, which revealed nearly half of motorists wouldn’t consider the change to an electric vehicle due to concerns of charging and availability, confirming findings of the survey we conducted here at Utility Trade recently.
You can explore how Utility Trade can help with commercial EV charging locations for your business, or get in contact with one of our experts today to better understand the many benefits of having an EV charging station on your business premises.
