LONDON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Britain is rapidly expanding its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to drive consumer adoption, with public charge points surpassing 75,000 as of this March, according to the Department for Transport.
The government said an additional 100,000 on-street and local chargers will be deployed in smaller towns and rural areas through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, despite the 75,000 public chargers and over 680,000 domestic ones.
A new charger is added every 29 minutes, supported by over 2.3 billion pounds (2.98 billion U.S. dollars) in government funding, said Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander on Wednesday.
According to the Department for Transport, Britain's EV owners charging at home save up to 750 pounds annually compared to petrol costs.
While the overall UK new car market dipped by 1.0 percent in February, battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations surged by 41.7 percent, capturing 25.3 percent of total sales, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
However, tax reforms effective from April threaten to dampen momentum. EVs priced above 40,000 pounds will incur a 2,125-pound "expensive car supplement."
Analysts note that the synergy between infrastructure investment and EV affordability is accelerating Britain's shift to zero-emission transport. Yet, reconciling tax policies with consumer incentives remains critical to sustaining growth.
"Long term, we need measures that incentivize private purchases and facilitate a faster rollout of charging infrastructure," said SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes. (1 pound= 1.30 U.S. dollar)
