Labour has boosted charging options for electric vehicles by extending a popular scheme for a further year.
A record number of EV charging sockets have been installed at UK schools, with 1,407 now in place across the country.
The milestone was confirmed today by Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood, who praised the development of EV infrastructure.
The chargers have been funded through £3million from the Government’s Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS).
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The Government has announced that it will extend certain EV charging schemes
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This achievement marks a crucial step in the Government’s mission to boost charging infrastructure nationwide.
The school chargepoints follow more than 59,000 workplace charging sockets that the scheme has funded since 2016.
An additional 6,500 sockets were installed in workplace car parks during 2024 alone.
The Workplace Charging Scheme has been extended for another year, the Government confirmed today. The Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant has also been extended.
This provides certainty needed to continue rolling out chargepoints to various locations, including flats, rental properties, schools, offices and workplaces.
Infrastructure will continue to grow thanks to £200million announced at Budget 2024 to power the chargepoint rollout, as well as £6billion of private investment in the pipeline.
This will ensure tens of thousands of additional chargers in coming years in the run-up to 2030, when the Government aims to have 300,000 public chargers installed.
Schools can open their chargepoints to local residents and visitors, helping integrate charging into daily routines and provide an additional revenue stream.
Chris Norwood, Headteacher at Northfleet School for Girls, said: “The car chargers have created over £2,000 in additional school funding, which has helped to create an additional farm classroom for all students to utilise.”
The school has embraced environmental initiatives like solar panels and LED lighting, helping the school save over £500,000 in energy costs since 2017.
Norwood added: “We expect that by modelling the best environmental practice possible, we are supporting our students to be proactive in this area in their adult lives.”
There are now over 74,000 public chargers available nationwide, with nearly 20,000 chargers added last year alone.
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There are estimated to be around 850,000 chargers at homes and workplaces around the UK
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Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood added: “Schools are the beating heart of our towns and communities and rolling out chargers here shows we are building a practical and reliable charging network designed around people’s daily lives.
“Reaching 1,000 sockets at schools is a particularly significant milestone and builds on a record January for electric car sales, as consumer confidence in the electric transition grows every day.
“This is helping support jobs, make the UK a clean energy superpower and deliver our Plan for Change.”
