The Government has awarded over £6m of funding to carry out the creation of over 300 dedicated charge points for ultra-low emission taxis across the UK.

Set to be shared amongst 17 local authorities, including Brighton and Manchester, the funds will help set up 300 rapid charge points and 46 fast charge points for ultra-low emission taxis. The Department for Transport (DfT) sees this move as another landmark in the ‘Road to Zero’ journey, which aims to see at least half of new cars being ultra-low emission by 2030.

Future of Mobility Minister, Jesse Norman shared his thoughts in the wake of the announcement:

“The government wants all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040. Getting the right infrastructure and investment in place is a crucial part of this.

“Today’s funding will support almost 4,000 ultra low emission vehicles across the country. It is a further sign that the UK is making real progress in the transition to greener transport.”

Richard Harrington, Automotive Minister reiterated these sentiments, and praised the Government for their latest commitment to cutting emissions in the UK:

“The UK has led the world in cutting emissions while maintaining growth in our economy.

“These new charge points for greener taxis will help accelerate a cleaner environment for people across the UK. This will also point the way for a better, healthier future for us all as part of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy which builds on the government’s long-standing partnership with the UK automotive sector.”

The Government has estimated that over 800 ultra-low emission black cabs and more than 3,000 ultra-low emission private hire vehicles will benefit from the new charge points, supporting the shift towards cleaner transport on UK roads.

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Source: Gov.uk