Shapps launches £10m pilot EV charging fund

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has written to local authority chief executives to launch a pilot £10m competitive bidding scheme to boost local electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.

The Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) pilot will inform the development of the full £400m fund, with £50m resource money, which the Department for Transport (DfT) aims to launch in 2022/23.

Mr Shapps invited authorities to bid for cash from the £10m pilot scheme, which aims 'to leverage private sector investment and trial innovative, larger scale, commercially focused proposals in England'.

'We are keen for local authorities to think strategically and long-term about their EV charging infrastructure needs,' he wrote.

The news follows the release of the Government's national strategy for expanding EV charging infrastructure in England with the target of reaching at least 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030.

The LEVI fund is open to local authorities or partnerships or consortiums led by English local authorities.

Bidders must be planning an EV charging infrastructure project that:

• supports the transition to EV use in a local area, with a particular focus on provision for those without off-street parking
• will provide an improvement in accessible EV charging provision that would not otherwise be met by current or planned EV chargepoint infrastructure
• shows innovation – this could be either technical or commercial innovation

Successful bids will also demonstrate delivery plans, value for money offered by the project, and must be supported by the highway authority (or landowner) with responsibility for maintenance of the areas where the chargepoints are to be located.

Bidding closes on 17 June.