Drivers across the Midlands will benefit from more than 16,000 new electric vehicle (EV) chargers as the region secures over £40 million in government investment.
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Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood has today confirmed that 13 local authorities across the Midlands, supported by Midlands Connect, have received £40.8 million from the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to roll out thousands of chargers across the region.
While the charging network continues to grow – with over 10,000 public chargers already available across the Midlands – today’s announcement will provide many more drivers across the Midlands easy access to charging near their home.
The funding comes on top of over £2.3 billion to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
This is creating high paid jobs, supporting businesses up and down the country and tapping into a multi-billion pound industry to make the UK a clean energy superpower and deliver the Plan for Change.
Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: "Making charging as seamless and as easy as possible is crucial to making the switch to electric a success and rolling out over 16,000 chargers across the Midlands will make driving an EV cheaper and easier, especially for those without a driveway."
The new chargepoints will boost charging infrastructure across the Midlands, including in smaller towns and rural areas, ensuring that EV owners and those looking to switch can drive with the confidence they will always be close to a chargepoint, no matter where they live.
With over 382,000 EVs sold in 2024 – up a fifth on the previous year – the UK is the largest EV market in Europe.
There’s never been a better time to switch to EVs, with one in 3 used electric cars under £20,000 and 21 brand new electric cars RRP under £30,000.
Owning an EV is also becoming increasingly cheaper, with drivers able to save up to £750 a year compared to petrol if they mostly charge at home.
The average range of a new electric car is now 236 miles – that’s about 2 weeks of driving for most people – all the while emitting just one-third of the greenhouse emissions of a petrol car during its lifetime.
With 24/7 helplines, contactless payments, and up-to-date public chargepoint locations, charging has now become easier than ever. ■