- On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme available since January 1
- EV owners must ask their local authorities to apply for chargers on their behalf
- Scheme will favour areas where no off-street parking is available
- Councils can apply for multiple plug-ins to cover current and future EV demand
- IMI says more chargers is great but EVs are still too expensive to insure
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The biggest issue strangling the nation's switch from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles is undoubtedly the lack of infrastructure in the UK.
Too few chargers to replenish batteries - especially in inner-city areas where short journeys are best served by zero-emissions electric cars but most people must park their car on the street - have restricted the take-up of pure electric models in Britain.
However, a new £2.5 million 'On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme' has been created to allow EV owners to apply to have a plug-in point installed on their street - and perhaps even right outside their house - the only problem is you have to apply through your council.
Coming to a street near you? You can make a case with your local authority to have an electric car charge point - c apable of replenishing two vehicles at once - installed on your street
The scheme offered by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles from January has made £1 million available to fund installations during the current financial year and an additional £1.5 million to cover applications made during 2017/18.
Residents who want one of the twin charge points added on their street will have to ask their local authority to take up their case, with funding then allocated on a first-come first-served basis.
Of course, if you (or your local authority) is fortunate enough to secure one of the charge posts, there's no guarantee it'll be available for you to take advantage of - any electric-car or plug-in hybrid driver will be able to use it and you'll have to pay to have access to the supply. So don't expect to plug your BMW i3 or Nissan Leaf into one overnight every day.
The scheme is aimed at EV owners who have no off-street parking, for example those with on-street resident parking bays - suggesting most accepted applications will be in highly-populated urban areas.
However, local authorities can also apply to the scheme to meet future demands, meaning plug-in posts capable of charging two vehicles at once could be erected in your area even if there are currently no electric car owners living on your street.
Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low - a joint government and industry campaign to encourage motorists into zero-emissions vehicles - said: 'The growing demand for electric vehicles justifies greater on-street charging infrastructure and for EV owners that do not have access to off street charging, this public infrastructure is vital.
'2016 marked a record year for plug-in registrations with more motorists than ever making the switch to electric. Annual uptake rose 29 per cent and we expect this strong growth to continue, so welcome all investments made in the national charging infrastructure.
'While Go Ultra Low research shows more than 90 per cent of charging is done at home, there are already more than 11,000 publically accessible charge points around the country, so this growing national network provides a useful additional option to motorists.'
The scheme is aimed at people living in areas where there is no off-street parking, mainly those living in flats in the city
Applications made by local authorities can be for multiple charge points in the same post code.
With funding available for 75 per cent of the capital costs – capped at a maximum of £7,500 per twin charge point and £100,000 per application – the scheme will make owning and charging an electric car much easier for those who don't have the facility to have a dedicated charge point attached to their home.
Andrew Benfield, group director for Transport at the Energy Saving Trust added: 'The On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme is a fantastic scheme to encourage electric car ownership, especially those who don't have a garage or driveway and cannot have a private charger installed.
'There are more than 80,000 plug-in electric cars on UK roads now, and with fuel prices on the rise, this number is set to grow.
'However, not everyone can install a charger at home because they don't have a garage or driveway, or perhaps live in a flat.
Local authorities can apply for more than one of the charge points to be installed and can base their application on future demand as well as current EV coverage in the area
'This infrastructure is vital to help people make better choices about the car they drive and to do so without any difficulty.'
Residents, community groups and housing associations who want electric vehicle charge points installed in their area should contact their local council to ask for one to be installed.
For more information on the fund on how to apply to the scheme, contact the Energy Saving Trust.
Insurance costs will restrict EV take-up , IMI
A lacking infrastructure isn't the only hurdle preventing consumers from buying electric and low-emissions cars.
Research conducted on behalf of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) found that while 40 per cent of the public would be willing to own a car of this type, they are unwilling or unable to pay the increased insurance premiums currently levied on these cars.
Insurers were found to be charging up to 50 per cent more to cover electric and hybrid cars, according to research by Auto Express last year.
The higher premiums were due to the expensive purchase price and lack of skilled technicians available to repair them, with just one per cent of mechanics in the UK qualified to work on high-voltage electric systems on behalf of franchised dealers.
Auto Express found it was up to 50% more expensive to insure an electric Renault Zoe than an equivalent petrol or diesel car
The IMI has called on Ministers to help with a £30 million investment in training from its £600 million fund created to promote emission free vehicles.
CEO at the institute, Steve Nash, said: 'Millions of taxpayers' cash spent on charging points will be wasted if the Government won't help independent garages and wider industry keep up with the switch to electric.
'It's not rocket science. Small businesses are uncertain about future demand for work on electrified cars and won't risk investing in the skills they need without help from the government.
'This means insurance and servicing costs will stay out of the reach of many drivers and car buyers will still be attracted to diesel cars as the most fuel efficient alternative, kee ping them on our roads in significant numbers for decades to come.'
