A leading infrastructure body has called on the UK Government to do more to ensure the country remains a leading light in the production and uptake of electric vehicles.
The National Infrastructure Committee (NICS) provides expert and impartial advice to the government to provide assessment to the needs of the county based on the needs of interest groups and other stakeholders.
In week where Jaguar Land Rover made a major commitment to the EV industry by confirming plans to build a range of new electrified vehicles at its West Midlands site, NICS has said that the UK government must put in place an action plan to ensure the country’s infrastructure can cope with the growing demand for EV.
“This investment in EVs technology is welcome and highlights an increasingly electric future for transport in this country,” said NICs chair Sir John Armitt as he welcomed the JLR investment.
“We must support drivers to make the switch and address concerns about range anxiety. The government now needs an action plan to effectively charge up Britain and it should start by rolling out a national charging network and subsidising rapid charge points in rural and remote areas where the market will not deliver straight away.”
Jaguar’s plans for the Castle Browmich site will make it the UK’s first premium electrified vehicle plant, a move which is hailed as one of the most significant in the company’s long and illustrious history. But JLR’s CEO, Ralf Speth has also highlighted the main worries for drivers switching to EV.
“Convenience and affordability are the two key enablers to drive the uptake of electric vehicles to the levels that we all need. Charging should be as easy as re-fuelling a conventional vehicle,” Speth said.