Signs for EV chargers to be fitted on major roads
Concerns over the ability to recharge EVs on long journeys have been blamed for some motorists being reluctant to move on from petrol or diesel cars.
The DfT also announced it will launch a £25 million scheme for local authorities to support residents without off-road parking to recharge EVs via cables connected to their homes which run along gullies embedded in pavements.
This will enable thousands of drivers to access cheaper household electricity rates for recharging, rather than using more expensive public chargers.
The DfT said drivers can save up to £1,500 by charging an EV at home, compared with running a petrol or diesel car.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the Government is making it 'easier and cheaper' to own an EV.
She added: 'We know access to charging is a barrier for people thinking of making the switch, and we are tackling that head-on so that everyone – whether or not they have a driveway – can access the benefits of going electric.'
Other EV measures announced by the Government include providing the NHS in England with an £8 million fund to support the electrification of ambulances and medical fleets across more than 200 sites.
There will also be a new grant scheme to help businesses install charging points at vehicle depots nationwide, supporting the electrification of heavy goods vehicles, vans and coaches.
AA president Edmund King said there are more public EV chargers than people realise but they are 'often hidden in plain sight'.
He went on: 'Increasing signs for the public network is vital to help the EV transition as it will create confidence for drivers both now and in the future.'
Delvin Lane, chief executive of charging company InstaVolt, said the introduction of charging signage on major roads is a 'crucial step'.
He added: 'For years, we have emphasised that the UK's public EV infrastructure, so critical to mass adoption, is already largely in place, and now this signage will finally showcase it to drivers in a visible, accessible way.'
The Government has pledged to ban the sale of new fully petrol or diesel cars and vans from 2030.
Under the Government's zero emission vehicle (Zev) mandate, at least 28% of new cars sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero emission, which generally means pure electric.
Across all manufacturers, the figure during the first half of the year was 21.6%.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in April that sales of new hybrids that cannot be plugged in will be permitted to continue until 2035.
Changes to the (Zev) mandate also mean it will be easier for manufacturers which do not meet the targets to avoid fines.
Richard Fuller, a shadow Treasury minister, said: 'Investment in infrastructure is welcome, but Labour have slashed road funding while forcing families into more expensive electric vehicles before the country is ready, as this announcement clearly shows.
'Rachel Reeves's economic mismanagement and Keir Starmer's failure to control his own party have led to chaotic, unfunded U-turns, meaning more tax rises are on the way. Working people, the makers who create wealth, build businesses, deliver frontline services and drive our economy, are once again being punished for Labour's confusion and weakness.
'For too long, we've allowed a system that rewards takers rather than supporting those who work hard and play by the rules. Only the Conservatives stand for sound public finances, lower taxes, and real support for Britain's drivers, not unaffordable electric cars and impossible net-zero targets.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Now minister says only those on 'average incomes' - around £39,000 - will be protected from tax hikes at Budget as Labour shambles deepens
Labour's tax shambles deepened today as a minister suggested only those on 'average incomes' will be protected from looming hikes. Roads minister Lilian Greenwood appeared to commit to protecting those on incomes of up to £39,000 from desperate efforts to fill a black hole in the public finances. But she gave another strong hint that the 'wealthy' will be hammered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves - saying the government thought those with the 'broadest shoulders' should pay. The comments came as Ms Greenwood was grilled what her boss, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, meant when she said on Sunday that the those on 'modest incomes' would be spared pain. She told Sky News: 'I think it means people who earn kind of around average income.' Roads minister Lilian Greenwood appeared to commit to protecting those on incomes of up to £39,000 from desperate efforts to fill a black hole in the public finances She gave another strong hint that the 'wealthy' will be hammered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured) - saying the government thought those with the 'broadest shoulders' should pay Challenged that was roughly £39,000 a year, she added: 'I can't tell you exactly what the Transport Secretary had in her mind when she said that, but our promise when we came in was that we wouldn't hit working people with increases in employee national insurance, in income tax or VAT, and we've absolutely stuck to those promises.' Pressed that she seemed to be saying there was a wealth tax coming, Ms Greenwood replied: 'Well these are decisions for the Chancellor, but clearly we've always said that we think those who've got the broadest shoulders should bear the greatest burden.' Yesterday Ms Reeves pointedly only committed to holding rates on 'taxes that working people pay'. Visiting a school in Wigan, she suggested that just meant no change to income tax, employee national insurance and VAT as she struggles to fill an estimated £30billion black hole. But pushed on Labour demands for a 'wealth tax', Ms Reeves said: 'We haven't even set the date for the budget yet, so please forgive me if I don't speculate about what might happen at an event we haven't even decided a date on yet.' Treasury Chief Secretary Darren Jones sparked a fresh bout of confusion by pointedly saying 'headline' rates of income tax, NICs and VAT will not change. Speculation has been mounting about a 'wealth tax' - something Labour MPs have been baying for despite alarm at signs of an exodus of the rich from Britain. Downing Street has refused to rule out a wealth tax, although Ms Reeves previously said she was 'not interested' in the idea. The tax burden is already set to hit a new high as a proportion of GDP after the last Budget imposed a £41billion increase - the biggest on record for a single package. But experts have suggested that the stalling economy together with spending pressures could mean Ms Reeves has a £31billion funding gap to fill. Many believe the Chancellor will opt to extend the long-running freeze on tax thresholds. The policy, in place since 2022, is due to end in 2028-29. By that point it will have dragged an extra 4.2million people into the tax system as wages rise.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Business news live: Rachel Reeves to address taxes and pensions in Mansion House speech
Tuesday brings Rachel Reeves ' Mansion House speech, with the chancellor expected to delve into pension reform and plenty more besides. There has been a push in some quarters for the chancellor to rip up fiscal rules limiting spending, which has been rejected by the government, and to bring in a wealth tax, which has not. It's not expected that ISAs will be a key focus now, with reform expected to wait until further discussions have taken place, but tax changes for businesses may still be on the agenda along with other initiatives as the government chases economic growth. Elsewhere, bitcoin has hit new highs of late and the FTSE 100 performed well on Monday - in contrast to other places in the stock market as tariff threats continue and a deal between the US and the EU appears no closer.
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Row over ScotGov failure to track jobs supported by public millions
The Scottish Government says it does not have data on the number of manufacturing jobs created in the past five years - which includes public investment made to bus maker Alexander Dennis - which is planning to move production to England endangering 400 Scottish jobs. And ministers are being further questioned about how the Scottish Government's Green Industrial Strategy, published in September 2024, contains no reference to bus manufacturing in Scotland. Last month, Alexander Dennis announced it was considering relocating production from its Larbert and Camelon sites near Falkirk to Scarborough in North Yorkshire, citing cost-cutting reasons. Union representatives have said the move could endanger approximately 400 Scottish jobs. This news follows the loss of more than 400 jobs just a few miles away in Grangemouth, where the local oil refinery recently closed and was converted into an import terminal. READ MORE from Martin Williams: Swinney got year-long warning England-bound bus firm was 'reconsidering' Scotland FM in funding row as £90m public cash for Scots jobs given to firm going to England Union says 1600 Scots jobs at risk if government doesn't act in 'national interest' The Herald revealed that nearly £90m of public money gone to Alexander Dennis to support Scottish jobs over ten years before it embarked on plan to move operations to England. According to Scottish Government records, ADL received £58m of public 'subsidy' for green vehicles since 2020 under two schemes aimed at transitioning Scotland to green buses - despite the company having embarked on a 2020 plan to axe a third of its Scottish workforce. And some £30m of jobs grants for research and development over 10 years has come from the Scottish Government's economic development agency Scottish Enterprise. Some £11.2m of those jobs grants from Scottish Enterprise came in 2023, three years after concerns were raised over ADL embarking on major job cuts in 2020. A bus on the Alexander Dennis pipeline in Falkirk By the time the 2020 jobs cut was in place ADL had already received over £8m in 'job securing' taxpayer funding which was promoted as supporting building a new greener business in Scotland. Former community safety minister Ash Regan who has been quizzing ministers about the number of manufacturing jobs created as a result of public and private investment - was told that neither the Scottish Government or Scottish Enterprise held the information. She was told in as response that details on analysis on how Scotland has performed in terms of attracting investment in key sectors was available from an survey carried out by consultants EY. Alba's Edinburgh Eastern MSP said: 'The Scottish Government should be tracking investment across the country so that we can ensure that we are committing the right resources to where they are needed most to maximise benefit for Scotland. Their failure to do so leaves inward investors and SMEs with a postcode lottery to secure the support of the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise. 'A national effort is needed to reverse the manufacturing decline of the past decades and ensure that every community in Scotland gets the right investment to create opportunities, ensuring that good jobs are on the doorstep of all Scots." Last week, Fife-based bus manufacturer has made 81 employees redundant after it entered administration. Workers at Greenfold Systems Ltd in Dunfermline were previously put on notice of potential job losses as a knock-on effect of bus company Alexander Dennis planning to pull out of Scotland. Around half the staff on site were working on parts for the Larbert-based company. And analysis from the Robert Gordon University last month has warned that the oil and gas industry could lose up to 400 jobs every two weeks for the next five years unless action is taken. It says that the UK risks losing tens of thousands of offshore energy jobs by 2030 unless urgent and coordinated action is taken immediately. It is estimated that 43% of the UK's oil and gas jobs are in Scotland. Ash Regan (Image: PA) Ms Regan added: "It seems that there isn't a week that goes by without another blow to Scotland's manufacturing capacity. Whether it's the closure of our only refinery, bus manufacturers or a scale back of the oil and gas industry. Scotland desperately needs an industrial strategy to create and sustain high quality jobs for today and build the skillsets and infrastructure for the emergent industries of tomorrow. 'Inward investment is key to keeping and creating quality jobs in Scotland, by securing our remaining industries. Yet, inward investment alone cannot create and sustain Scotland as the economic powerhouse we should aspire to be. We must also invest in infrastructure for connectivity and support the boundless potential of Scotland's Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) - the economic backbone that drives profits back into Scotland. " The Scottish Government was accused of "strategic neglect" after the Herald revealed the extent of support Alexander Dennis has had - while the First Minister was warned last year that it was "reconsidering" its "entire investment" in Scotland. The SNP-led Scottish Government and the Labour-led UK Government agreed to establish a joint working group to discuss options to find a solution and avert job losses. They are looking at how far they 'can push' the UK 'state aid' rules set out in the Subsidy Control Act 2022 to create a support package to save the 400 jobs. Alexander Dennis have said that they are engaging with both governments "in good faith ". Unions have previously warned that "time is running out" on the company before a request for an extension on consultation over jobs to August 15 was granted, while the Scottish Parliament is in recess until August 31. Meanwhile, Colin Smyth, convener of the Scottish Parliament's economy committee has asked the finance secretary Shona Robison, what the Scottish Government's view is on maintaining domestic manufacturing capacity in the bus sector. It came as the Green Industrial Strategy failed to reference bus manufacturing He told her: "Given the strategic importance of Alexander Dennis, the high quality of its workforce and the role of manufacturing in Scotland's future economy, it is vital that every possible action is taken to retain manufacturing, and the jobs it provides." He added: Ministers must act with urgency and ambition to help keep these jobs and avoid a world-class manufacturer shutting its doors in Scotland." Deputy first minister Kate Forbes said:'Scotland has a high value, high quality manufacturing sector that supports 178,000 jobs across the country and accounts for more than half of Scotland's international exports. In 2023 it contributed £18.1 billion in GVA to Scotland's economy. 'Significant strategic work takes place across the public sector to achieve this investment in our manufacturing base: Scottish Enterprise helped create or safeguard nearly 5,000 manufacturing jobs in 2024-25. The latest EY Annual Attractiveness Survey results meanwhile show that Scotland secured its largest share of manufacturing inward investment coming into the UK in 2024 – securing more than a fifth all UK projects. 'Scottish Development International, the international division representing all three enterprise agencies, ensures inward investment is made in the best location with the appropriate support package to establish new business, jobs and opportunities in the country.' The Scottish Government said that Ms Regan did not specifically request data relating to the number of manufacturing jobs in Scotland created through public money. But it has been argued that publicly funded investment was cleared implied by the question.
