The Government has launched a raft of new measures to boost EV charge point numbers, including grants for schools, cash for councils and proposals that could cut installation times.

State-funded schools, colleges, nurseries and academies can now get larger grants to install charge points

The measures are part of the Plan for Drivers and intended to support electric vehicle drivers with accelerated charge point deployment.

State-funded schools, colleges, nurseries and academies can now access a grant that provides up to 75% of the cost to buy and install charge points; delivering up to £2,500 per socket, compared to the previous £350.

Paid for by the Department for Transport (DfT), the grant forms part of the Workplace Charging Scheme and could also help schools to generate revenue by making their charge points available to the public.

Five more local authorities are also set to receive funding for local charge points under the Government’s £381m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund. The first capital payments for charging projects have been approved to three local authorities from East Sussex to North Yorkshire, and two London Boroughs, bringing the total funding for these areas to more than £14.2m.

The Government’s LEVI Capability funding has also enabled the recruitment of almost 100 dedicated EV officers to support charge point procurement, while the DfT is also launching an electric vehicle infrastructure (EVI) training course for local authority officers, which will open to all local authorities from mid-March following a successful trial.

The Government sees local authorities as instrumental in charge point rollout, particularly for on-street charging. It recently confirmed its intention to mandate local transport authorities to produce local charging strategies if they have not done so as part of local transport plans.

Local authorities can also access the On-street Residential Charge Point Scheme (ORCS). Grants are also available to help businesses make the transition through the Government’s Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS), as well as people in flats and rented accommodation through the Electric Vehicle Charge Point grant.

In addition, the Government is launching a consultation exploring ways to speed up charge point installation across the country. The proposals would give EV charge point operators the right to carry out street works using a permit rather than a licence.

Permits can be issued much faster, taking days instead of months, and are significantly cheaper to obtain than licences, reducing costs for operators and speeding up the charge point rollout for drivers.

While the consultation runs, a new good practice guide has been published by the Government to improve consistency in processing licence applications across different areas.

These are the second package of measures delivered from the Government’s Plan for Drivers, and follow last month’s announcement of a crackdown on disruptive roadworks and better digital information to boost sat-nav accuracy.

Other measures include the publication of a list of common questions and answers on the transition to EVs, including battery range and charge point availability across the country.

The DfT will also shortly consult on removing the 2-metre limitation so that wall-mounted outlets and upstands can be installed anywhere within an area lawfully used for off-street parking.

Technology and Decarbonisation Minister Anthony Browne said: “We’re getting on with delivering our Plan for Drivers, and this latest set of measures will mean EV owners everywhere benefit from easier and more convenient access to charge points.

“This Government has already spent over £2bn to ensure a smooth switch to EVs, and we’re committed to supporting drivers as we transition towards net zero in a proportionate way that doesn’t burden working people.”

New laws recently came into force to provide EV drivers with easier and more reliable public charging, mandating that prices across charge points are transparent, easy to compare and that a large proportion of new public charge points have contactless payment options.

Latest Zapmap figures show there were more than 55,000 charging devices across the UK as of the end of January 2024.

Zapmap chief operating officer Melanie Shufflebotham said: “As the number of electric vehicles on the road continues to grow, more charge points will of course be needed, and we welcome any new scheme which might accelerate the rollout of installations and provide them in a wider range of locations, subject to the considerations of individual schools.

“The easier it is for EV drivers to find a local charge point, the faster we can transition to cleaner and greener transport.”