EU wants 30 million EVs on the road by 2030 to meet emissions targets
Infrastructure expansion
To facilitate the switch to zero-emission vehicles, the first of more than 100 planned electric forecourts across the UK was launched by energy firm Gridserve in Essex today as part of a £1 billion (US$1.33 billion) five-year plan.
The solar-powered super-fast electric forecourt will deliver 350kW of charging power – enough to add 200 miles of driving range in 20 minutes – to up to 36 cars at a time.
Toddington Harper, Gridserve’s Founder and Chief Executive, said: “It’s our collective responsibility to prevent greenhouse gas emissions from rising further, and electric vehicles powered by clean energy represent a large part of the solution.
“However, charging has to be simple and free of anxiety, which is why we’ve designed our electric forecourts entirely around the needs of drivers, updating the traditional petrol station model for a net-zero carbon world and delivering the confidence people need to make the switch to electric transport today.”
While Norway leads the way with EV ownership per capita in Europe, thanks to generous tax incentives that drastically reduce the price of EVs, other European countries have had mixed results.
Besides the comparatively high costs of new vehicles, other factors like ‘range anxiety’ – concerns about not being able to find charging facilities – have led to a reluctance among motorists to make the switch.
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Story byCities Today
Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.
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