Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has announced plans to install hundreds of thousands charging points for the UK’s electric vehicles.
Grayling will unveil the plans that are designed to reduce carbon emissions and increase the purchase and ease of recharging electric vehicles.
The transport secretary’s proposals will include an assessment to see if new homes and offices require charging points, new street lighting columns and more money allocated to fund charging infrastructure.
“The road to zero strategy, combined with the measures we’ve already introduced, will mean Britain now has one of the most comprehensive support packages for zero-emission vehicles in the world,” Grayling will say.
“We want the UK to become the best country in the world in which to develop and manufacture zero-emission vehicles. The prize is not just a cleaner and healthier environment, but a UK economy fit for the future and the chance to win a substantial slice of a market estimated to be worth up to £7.6 trillion by 2050.”
The government is also expected to outline plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040. The commitment is similar to the promise in France and is part of the government’s clear-air plan.
“Poor air quality is the biggest environmental risk to public health in the UK and this government is determined to take strong action in the shortest time possible,” said a government spokesman.
“That is why we are providing councils with new funding to accelerate development of local plans, as part of an ambitious £3 billion programme to clean up dirty air around our roads.”
The sale of electric cars within the UK is increasing. Electric vehicles made up 5.5 percent of the UK’s new car market for the first six months of 2018. This is compared to 4.3 percent for the same period in 2017.
AA president Edmund King said Grayling’s proposals are “a step in the right direction”.