Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the availability of flash or high speed electric vehicle charging.

The Government will be working with the operators of motorway service areas (MSAs) and major A road services to ensure that this charging provision is in place ahead of customer demand. The aim is to help support early adoption of electric vehicles and remove range anxiety concerns for drivers on long journey. By 2023, we aim to have at least six high powered, open access chargepoints at motorway service areas in England, with some larger sites having ten to twelve. By 2035, we expect the number to increase to around 6,000 high powered chargers across the network. To ensure the private sector can continue to expand the charging network at pace in the 2020s, the Government will invest £950 million through the Rapid Charging Fund to future-proof grid capacity along the Strategic Road Network to prepare for 100% uptake of zero emission cars and vans ahead of need.

Government also committed at Spending Review to a new Local EV Infrastructure Fund. This new Fund will facilitate the rollout of larger-scale chargepoint infrastructure projects across England for those without off-street parking, and will support appropriate charging solutions which may include rapid chargepoints as part of a wider rollout.

Details of how local EV charging will be supported will be announced in due course and the fund is due to launch in Spring 2022