Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles will play a crucial role in helping the UK to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The Government launched The Road to Zero in 2018, its strategy on the transition to zero emission road transport, including that all new cars and vans will be effectively zero emission by 2040. A consultation will shortly be carried out to consider the earliest possible date that the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars can be phased out, while minimising the impact on drivers and businesses.
The plug-in car grant has so far supported the purchase of over 170,000 new ultra-low emission cars, and the Government is now focusing the grant on the cleanest, zero emission models.
In addition, Government funding, alongside private sector investment, has supported the installation of more than 17,000 public chargepoints, including over 1,700 rapid chargepoints - one of the largest networks in Europe. The first £70 million of the £400 million Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund has also now been allocated and will see another 3,000 rapid chargepoints installed. Ministers want all new public rapid chargepoints to offer ‘pay as you go’ credit and debit card payments by spring 2020.
Furthermore, chargepoints in homes and on residential streets are vital. I welcome that a consultation has been held on all new-build homes in England being fitted with chargepoints. I am also pleased that residents with on-street parking will also benefit from an extra £2.5 million funding for the On-Street residential chargepoint scheme. This will enable local authorities to continue building the charge-point infrastructure.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Mel Stride MP
MP for Central Devon
