Ministers have called on local authorities to do more to help reduce carbon emissions after it emerged just five councils in the UK have taken advantage of an electric car scheme.
Launched in 2016, the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme offers funding for local authorities to buy and install electric car charge points.
To date, only five councils have applied for funding, leaving a further £4.5m still available – enough for ‘thousands of extra points’.
The DfT describes the low take up as ‘extremely disappointing’, adding that ‘people up and down the country are being denied the opportunity to take advantage of the technology’.
Ministers Jesse Norman and Claire Perry have written to councils urging them to take up the scheme – which makes available up to 75% of the cost of procuring and installing charge points.
Jesse Norman, transport minister, said: “We are in the early stages of an electric revolution in the UK transport sector, and connectivity is at its heart.
“Millions of homes in the UK do not have off-street parking, so this funding is important to help local councils ensure that all their residents can take advantage of this revolution.”
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