Government charges up electric car network with fresh £30m

The government formally launched its new "Plugged-in Places" initiative yesterday, inviting local authorities and businesses to bid for up to £30m of funding to set up networks of electric car charging points.

The total number of points to be funded depends on local requirements, but the government said that it hopes to create between three and six cities in the UK with a comprehensive charging infrastructure.

Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said the new funding means the government has now committed £400m of support to help accelerate the development of electric vehicles.

"Our aim is for electric and low carbon cars to be an everyday feature of life on the UK's roads in less than five years," he said. "There is still a lot of work to be done, however Plugged-In Places is one very significant step putting us firmly on the path to a low carbon future."

The government envisions the points will be located on streets and car parks, as well as at commercial, retail and leisure facilities.

Business Minister Pat McFadden urged businesses involved in the development of electric vehicles or recharging networks to lodge applications for the new funding. "Our aim is for Britain to become a global centre for low carbon transport development, manufacturing and delivery - the Government is backing businesses who want to help make this happen," he said.

The plans build on a number of measures announced earlier this year and designed to boost demand for electric vehicles. Recently, the Department for Transport announced a £250m scheme to reduce the price of electric and plug-in hybrid cars by between £2,000 and £5,000 through tax exemption or rebates, while a £20m scheme is also up and running to purchase electric vehicles for government use.

Meanwhile, the Technology Strategy Board is running a £120m programme to accelerate the commercialisation of low carbon vehicles by building links between academia, innovative SMEs, mid-size companies and large, original equipment manufacturers.

In addition, the government has also announced £500,000 funding to support electric car-charging schemes in London and the West Midlands.

The latest funding is expected to spark interest from a wide range of different firms. For example, Sainsbury's recently unveiled electric car-recharging points at 11 of its London stores and announced plans to quickly expand its network of charging infrastructure, while energy giant EDF and electric car firm Project Better Place have also touted plans for a recharging network.