Around 44 councils across the UK are set to receive funding from the government to provide charge points for electric vehicles.

The £381 million Local Electric Vehicle (LEVI) fund will allow councils to choose the best locations for charge points in their local areas.

Five councils were initially given funding in February this year, with those included in this round able to apply for funding from 2 April.

The government said LEVI funding has already helped to place almost 150 dedicated EV officers in councils to support charge point planning and delivery.

The government says that over 56,000 public charge points have now been installed in the UK, a 47 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.

“This government has a plan to help speed up the installation of EV charge points, which we’re getting on and delivering,” said technology and decarbonisation minister Anthony Browne. “This dedicated funding to local councils is part of our plan to ensure people can switch from a petrol or diesel car to an EV when they choose to do so.”

The move comes several months after the zero-emission vehicle mandate (ZEV) became law.

The new legislation, which stipulates that all new cars and vans should be zero-emission by 2035, sets out the percentage of new zero emission cars and vans that manufacturers will now be required to produce each year up to 2030.

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