Industry outlines how government can back destination charging

The electric vehicle industry is calling on the government to prioritise destination charging to fill gaps in provision - particularly in tourism and leisure hotspots.

The message came from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) during its Parliamentary Reception, where it unveiled the next phase of its Bon VoyCharge campaign, launched earlier this summer with backing from the Department for Transport.

The campaign outlines three key asks of Government. The first is strategic vision. The industry needs government to bring stakeholders together to help plug infrastructure gaps. The most pressing of these gaps is airports. A national airport electrification strategy is required, with input from airports, rental operators and the charging sector.

The second is to provide targeted grants. This would strengthen the commercial case for installing infrastructure and enhance the network. This should extend to support for small accommodation providers and those requiring grid upgrades.

The third is tactical tax relief. This would mean putting incentives in the right places to encourage the deployment and usage of destination charging locations. Business rate relief to those installing chargepoints will improve availability, while an EV rental voucher scheme would ensure utilisation.

While hotels and leisure venues in some parts of the UK already offer destination charging, the BVRLA stressed the need to replicate this success more widely. Without targeted action, key tourism and transport locations risk becoming “charging black spots.”

The Westminster event followed a recent campaign roundtable in Holyrood, where Scottish Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop met with rental sector leaders and MSPs to discuss the role of local authorities and private operators in delivering reliable and affordable destination charging.

The Bon VoyCharge campaign is a broad collaboration between the BVRLA, Autotrader, Charge UK, EVA England, UK Hospitality, UK Inbound, and Zapmap, with support from rental firms including Arnold Clark, Drivalia, Europcar, and Hertz.