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A charging point every 20 miles

Courtesy of Mailonline By Tim Sculthorpe, Deputy Political Editor Published: 26 July 2017

The detail of today's new plan to clean up Britain's air reveals they hinge on a Highways England promise to build thousands of new charging points

A charging point every 20 miles

  • New petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2040 to improve air quality 
  • Strategy was launched today by ministers Michael Gove and Chris Grayling
  • Are fears the Natonal Grid will struggle to cope with switchover to electric
  • It could see road charging introduced by local authorities on the worst routes
  • The strategy pours cold water on a broad scrappage scheme for diesel drivers 
  • And buyers of new diesel cars could face higher taxes after a consultation  

Charging points will be installed every 20 miles on English motorways and main roads as part of the Government’s plan to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars.

The detail of today’s new plan to clean up Britain’s air reveals they hinge on a Highways England promise to build thousands of new charging points capable of fuelling a car with electricity in 30 minutes.

The success of the plans – first announced last autumn – will be essential if minsters are to persuade drivers to make the switch to hybrid or all-electric cars.

Charging points will be installed at motorway service stations and many current petrol stations, under the plans.

There are already 11,500 charging points in Britain and £500 grants are available for people installing charging ports at home.

But motoring experts have warned that the National Grid will struggle with the switch over to electric.

The AA warned that the National Grid would be under pressure to ‘cope with a mass switch-on after the evening rush hour’.

A National Grid assessment reportedly found that peak demand for electricity could add around 30 gigawatts to the current peak of 61GW – an increase of 50 per cent

The extra electricity is believed to be the equivalent of almost 10 times the power output of the new Hinckley Point C nuclear power station.

The detail of today’s new plan to clean up Britain’s air reveals they hinge on a Highways England promise to build thousands of new charging points

But motoring experts have warned that the National Grid will struggle with the switch over to electric.

The AA warned that the National Grid would be under pressure to ‘cope with a mass switch-on after the evening rush hour’.

A National Grid assessment reportedly found that peak demand for electricity could add around 30 gigawatts to the current peak of 61GW – an increase of 50 per cent

The extra electricity is believed to be the equivalent of almost 10 times the power output of the new Hinckley Point C nuclear power station. Read More