An electric vehicle charging in Russell Square, London. Source: Wikicommons/Philafrenzy
The United Kingdom’s push to transition to electric vehicles is yielding dividends in the country’s north, with EV registrations more than doubling to more than 74,000, helping to boost tens of thousands of green jobs across the country.
New statistics published this week by the UK government show nearly 327,000 plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs and BEVs) were registered across the UK in 2021 – a 77% increase on the 185,000 registered in 2020, and a 300% increase over 2019.
Of particular note was the more than 74,000 plug-in EVs registered in 2021 across the north of England – a region which includes the country’s North East and North West, as well as Yorkshire and the Humber region. That’s an increase of 113% over 2020.
The UK department for transport describes this continued growth in EV uptake across the north of England as a direct result of the government’s drive towards greener travel, which is supporting up to 40,000 new automotive jobs across the country.
This growth is expected to continue after the government’s recently published Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy which is designed to support the UK’s commitment to end the sale of new petrol and diesel petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. The UK has also targeted reaching zero tailpipe emissions for all new cars and vans by 2035.
The new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy is backed by £1.6 billion in funding to boost on-street EV charging tenfold, part of a larger effort to alleviate concerns over “range anxiety” across the UK.
By 2030, the UK is aiming to reach 300,000 public EV charging points – equivalent to almost 5-times the number of fuel pumps currently in operation across the UK.
“With a £2.5 billion cash injection, the UK continues to be a global front-runner in the switch to electric vehicles – helping drivers to save money on fuel while moving towards our net zero targets,” said Grant Shapps, the UK transport secretary.
The secretary met with northern leaders and mayors as part of the Northern Transport Acceleration Council to discuss the government’s targets.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
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