June 07, 2023 - 569 views
The Welsh Government will invest £15m to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points across Wales.
The funding, confirmed today by Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters, will be used to help local authorities increase the number of charging facilities ahead of fossil fuel vehicles being phased out in 2030.
The new funding follows the £26m already invested in charging infrastructure across Wales since 2021 which has created more than 1,600 charging points – enough for one in six battery electric vehicles.
Deputy Minister for Climate Change, with a responsibility for transport, Lee Waters said: "Drivers need to have the confidence to make the switch to electric vehicles as demand increases and that’s why we are committed to creating high quality electric vehicle infrastructure across Wales.
"Most of this work will be delivered by the private sector but our role is to facilitate private sector investments across Wales and ensure equality of access.
"To help with this, we have created a private sector taskforce which will engage with the market, break down any barriers to investment and accelerate the roll out of charging infrastructure.
"The funding announced today is another step in the right direction but we have further to go - we will continue to work with local authorities and the private sector so that Wales keeps up with the rapid increase in the number of electric vehicles."
Today’s announcement complements the Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) fund which has already kick-started many EV projects as the Welsh Government aims to reach its target of providing charging points for every 20 miles of the strategic trunk network across Wales by 2025.
