The UK has ambitious emissions targets: in winter 2020, the UK government brought forward its ban on the sale of internal combustion engines, moving this date from 2040 to 2030. However, the UK has Also need electric cars, motorcycles and scooters to replace their gasoline counterparts, and an influx of these vehicles will require more charging stations.
The UK currently has only 25 public charging points. In order to meet its target of installing 000 charging points by 145, Boris Johnson's administration has dictated requirements for all housing, workplace and retail construction projects to equip private car parks with electric charging modules.
Of course, the Bill may be a suitable solution to meet the UK's ambitious targets, but the requirement also forces landlords to incur additional costs without any compensation. Although the move resembles the government offloading infrastructure projects onto developers, this step aligns with the UK's recent approach to the transition to electricity.
On December 15, 2021, the government abruptly reduced incentives for customers of electric motorcycles and scooters: instead of a 20% subsidy of up to £1 on any electric model, Brits now have entitled to a 500% discount up to £35 on motorcycles and a 500% price reduction but only up to £35 on mopeds. The new incentive guidelines also exclude any electric motorcycle or moped priced above £150.
Compared to the rest of Europe, the UK's number of charging points lags behind the Netherlands, France and Germany. To put the situation into perspective, France currently has 45 charging points compared to 751 in the UK. However, France also aims to install 25 stations by 000. The UK may have found a way to get private citizens to contribute to electric charging infrastructure, but only time will tell if this decision will help them reach 200 charging points in eight years.
