Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to (a) help reduce the purchase cost of electric vehicles and (b) improve the electric vehicle infrastructure.

We are investing nearly £1.5bn? between April 2015 and March 2021 to support the transition to zero emission motoring and have put in place a range of grant schemes, available in any urban or rural areas UK-wide, to support the installation of charging infrastructure. We will set out a vision by Spring 2020 for a core infrastructure network of rapid and high powered chargepoints along England’s strategic road network.

The Government has put in place various grant funding schemes to assist with the up-front cost of purchasing eligible electric vehicles. Motorists who choose to make the switch to electric also benefit from lower Vehicle Excise Duty and, from April 2020, lower company car tax rates.

As part of our consultation to bring forward the end of sales of petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans, Government is asking for views on what measures are required to support this transition.