Shared transport charity urges councils to seize EV funding

Shared transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK (CoMoUK) has urged councils to take advantage of government funding to for electric vehicle charging as the deadline looms.

CoMoUK has reminded local authorities that they have until Friday to lodge initial bids for UK Government funding for electrical vehicle charge points.

Car clubs can now be included in these bids for the first time ever, through the £380million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund and additional £15million On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS).

It follows a consultation on plans for a zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which will play a significant role in shaping the availability of electric vehicles nationwide as part of the updated net zero strategy.

Proposals by the Department for Transport include an additional credit for car clubs to enhance accessibility to electric vehicles.

These developments come as a result of ongoing efforts by CoMoUK to address challenges related to funding and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in car clubs.
 
Road transport remains the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, with the use of privately-owned cars the main driving force.

According to the latest research, 14 per cent of car club vehicles in the UK are electric. In comparison, the figure for privately owned cars is just under 2 per cent.

There are currently just under 6,000 car club vehicles in the UK and 800,000 members. It is estimated that around 20 private cars have been removed from the road by each car club vehicle.