The new scheme will complement the original Plugged-in Midlands (PiM) scheme, which offered grant funding towards the capital costs associated with vehicle charging infrastructure, and which ran until the end of March.
The latest scheme will continue to encourage the installation of fast and safe charging points, using the latest technology as demanded by all mainstream manufacturers of electric vehicles.
However, under a new focus, the 2013/14 scheme will start to standardise access to charging points across the country and will be structured around targeted activities that reflect the type of business or service that the charging point owner provides.
As such, all charging points will have to meet a minimum specification in terms of their interface and functionality and installations will have to fall into one of a number of categories. Private end-user fleets will be covered under the infrastructure partnerships category while there will be a separate one for public authorities.
In addition, all new publically accessible charge points will be required to offer Pay As You Go functionality.
Adrian Vinsome, head of programmes for Cenex, said: ‘We are delighted that the Office for Low Emission Vehicles has extended funding for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. It has taken time to build up interest in the original scheme, but now that more and more people are becoming aware of the vehicles, the level of interest in charging points is also increasing.
‘We’re registering expressions of interest now, and will launch the new scheme formally in May with a couple of Information Days to explain the details and outline how interest in the grant can be taken forward.’
