Motorists without driveways are getting a helping hand from government, with a new £25 million Electric Vehicle Pavement Channels Grant launching this year.
The funding will help local authorities across England install in-ground pavement channels, allowing residents to charge EVs at home – unlocking potential savings of up to £1,500 a year compared to petrol or diesel cars.
Pavement channels are discreet, in-ground fittings that let cables pass safely from home sockets to EVs parked on the street – solving one of the biggest barriers for those without driveways.
The Department for Transport’s new grant is part of a wider £63 million push under the Plan for Change to scale up electric vehicle adoption across the country.
Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said: “We’re making it easier and cheaper to own an electric vehicle and our £25m boost to make home charging easier will unlock savings of up to £1,500 a year for motorists compared to driving petrol or diesel.”
The new funding will be made available later this year, with further details to follow.
Local authorities will be able to apply for support and guidance through the LEVI support body – a partnership between Energy Saving Trust, PA Consulting and Cenex.
Hugh Pickerill, programme manager at Energy Saving Trust, said: “The EVPC grant is a welcome compliment to existing funding schemes, such as the LEVI scheme, helping residents without access to off-street parking make the switch to an electric vehicle.”
With more than 82,000 public chargepoints already installed and billions committed to the EV rollout, the new fund is set to close the gap for those who want to charge at home but lack the infrastructure.
Local authorities get £25m to help charge up pavements appeared first on Energy Live News.