Rachel Reeves boosts UK electric car charging with £65million investment - 'Unlock its potential'

WATCH: The Department For Transport announces measures to make it cheaper to install EV chargers

DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT
Felix Reeves

By Felix Reeves


Published: 29/01/2025

- 10:31

Updated: 29/01/2025

- 11:22

The Chancellor said there had been a 'lack of bold reform' in recent years, as headlined by a £100million tunnel for bats during the HS2 development

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled a massive £65million boost to on-street electric car charging to help drivers make the switch to zero emission vehicles and meet net zero targets.

Speaking today at the Siemens Healthineers factory in Oxfordshire, the Chancellor outlined new pledges to boost economic growth across the country through new policies.


During the speech, Reeves noted how the Government had to make difficult decisions in the Autumn Budget to deal with a huge economic black hole left by the previous Conservative administration.

As part of Labour's economic growth mission, local authorities will be provided with additional funding for on-street electric vehicle charging infrastructure after previously pledging more chargers in its election manifesto.

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves and an on-street electric vehicle charger

Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled additional funding for on-street EV charging

GB NEWS/GETTY

Reeves blasted how slow the UK's planning decision was, citing a solar farm in Cambridgeshire which had been in the pipeline for four years, describing it as "ridiculous".

It was announced that there will be a £65million investment for Connected Kerb to expand the EV charging network across the UK.

The funding will come from the newly created National Wealth Fund, which is reportedly taking a 10 per cent equity stake in Connected Kerb.

Connected Kerb is aiming to quadruple its charging sockets to 40,000 with the new funding as the UK aims to have 300,000 chargers in the ground by the end of the decade.

Reacting to the announcement, Adam Wood, managing director of Renault UK, told GB News that the investment was "especially welcome" to help more drivers make the switch to EVs and backing the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

He said: "Today’s announcement gives confidence that legislators are ready to back their ambition with investment.

"The charging infrastructure in the UK has grown significantly in recent years, but for it to be accessible to all it needs ongoing and substantial investment to unlock its potential and to maintain the momentum behind some of the great innovative solutions that have and are being developed to allow kerbside charging across the UK.

"For the desired exponential growth in EV uptake by 2030 to be achieved, all stakeholders - car makers, charge providers, Government and more – need to play their part. 2025 is a pivotal year in the transition to EVs, as more affordable cars like the Renault 5 go on sale; providing more access to charging points for customers is critical to speeding up the transition to zero-emissions vehicles."

Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood added that the UK's charging infrastructure was going from strength to strength, adding that the funding boost was a "great vote of confidence".

She said: "With a further £6billion in the pipeline from industry by 2030, the switch to EVs is driving investment across the country, supporting jobs and making the UK a clean energy superpower to deliver our plan for change."

Chris Pateman-Jones, Connected Kerb CEO, said: "This investment combines Connected Kerb’s proven hardware and advanced software infrastructure with the financial resources of NWF and Aviva to deploy public charging at scale, to all corners of the UK.

"This is a game-changing investment that will give individuals and businesses the confidence to make the switch to driving electric, dramatically reducing carbon emissions and air pollution. We are delighted to have such high-profile investors who are deeply aligned with our sustainability and ethical goals."

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A BT electric vehicle charger with a green street cabinet in the background

The additional funding has been backed by experts for boosting confidence in electric vehicles

BT

The MP for Leeds West and Pudsey also outlined future plans to support the development of autonomous vehicles, specifically focusing on the work being done by British company Wayve.

Reeves said Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander would be making further announcements soon for other infrastructure plans.

She also confirmed that the Government would confirm a third runway at Heathrow Airport, despite concerns around environmental and legal concerns.

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