Ofgem to invest £300m in electric vehicle charging network

Energy regulator Ofgem has said it is investing £300m to expand the UK’s electric vehicle charging network.

The watchdog said the funding – which is part of a wider £40bn commitment – will go towards more than 200 low carbon projects across the UK to help the country prepare for more electric transport.

It said it will partly support installing cables needed to launch “1800 new ultra-rapid charge points”, tripling the current network.

A further 1750 charging points will be installed in towns and cities across the UK, it added.

Ofgem said that the investment, which will take place over the next two years, reflects the fact that Britain’s cables, substations and other infrastructure “need a massive upgrade” to cope with an expanded surge in demand.

Places such as Glasgow, Kirkwall, Warrington, Llandudno, York and Truro will benefit from increased network capacity as a result of the investment, it added.

Jonathan Brearley, chief executive of Ofgem, said: “The payment will support the rapid take-up of electric vehicles which will be vital if Britain is to hit its climate change targets.

“Drivers need to be confident that they can charge their car quickly when they need to.

“In the year that Glasgow hosts the Cop26 climate summit, the energy networks are rising to the challenge and working with us and partners to accelerate projects that can start now, benefiting consumers, boosting the economy and creating jobs.”

Rachel Maclean, transport minister, said: “I warmly welcome today’s news from Ofgem, which will greatly improve the resilience of our charging network as we build back greener.

“With more than 500,000 electric cars now on UK roads, this will help to increase this number even further as drivers continue to make the switch to cleaner, greener vehicles.”