The UK Government’s recent announcement of £56 million funding to increase the provision of electric vehicle (EV) charge points is a significant step towards achieving Net Zero emissions. However, according to Logistics UK, the leading UK logistics trade association, any new public charge point installation and infrastructure must provide adequate electric vehicle charging infrastructure with sufficient space for commercial vehicles to accelerate the logistics industry’s transfer to net carbon zero.
Although the UK already has over 34,000 public EV charge points, the UK Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy report predicts the country will require at least 300,000 charge points by 2030. The government’s funding aims to expand the current Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure pilot and deliver an additional 2,400 charge points to the existing 3,000 charge points installed through the On-Street Residential Charge point Scheme.
Logistics UK’s Senior Policy Manager, Denise Beedell, noted that the commercial vehicle sector’s charging requirements must be factored into any new infrastructure developments. She further highlighted the need for local authorities to provide sufficient space for battery electric vans and trucks to charge, citing an immediate increase in the number of public charge points commercial vehicles can use is necessary to give the logistics sector the confidence to invest in zero-emission vehicles.
