Electric vehicles (EVs) will play a crucial role in helping the UK to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. By 2035, the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be phased out, and by 2040, all new cars and vans must be zero emission at the tailpipe.
The Government has an important role in supporting the transition, demonstrated in its intention to install 300,000 public EV chargepoints by 2030 – equivalent to almost 5 times the number of fuel pumps on our roads today.
Infrastructure and production capacity must keep pace with EV sales, which is why the Government is investing £3.5 billion to support the automotive sector and consumers. This includes:
- £1 billion to support the electrification of UK vehicles and their supply chains
- £620 million for targeted electric vehicle grants and infrastructure
- £275 million to extend support for charge point installation at homes, workplaces, and on-street locations
- £381 million through the launch of the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure scheme
This year, the Government has provided Barnet Council with £5.19m to invest in new EV charging points, setting Barnet up to host more than 1/6 of all EV on-street charging points in London. This is on top of the £3.5m grant awarded in 2021, and £1.65m provided in 2022 to deliver over 100 new charge points through the Department for Transport’s Local EV Infrastructure Fund Pilot.
Since the initiation of Barnet’s EV charge point programme in 2018, over 200 electric vehicle charge points have been installed across the borough. By 2024, Barnet will have over 2,000 public EV charge points, the most of any London borough. This is a vital step in ensuring that we have the necessary infrastructure as more drivers turn to electric vehicles.
Currently, there are over 200 on-street vehicle chargepoints across the Borough, with further potential new sites being explored. Barnet Council take into consideration residential demand when identifying new sites, so if you would like to request one, you can do so by contacting: EVCharging@Barnet.gov.uk
