Ministers try to push switch to EVs with £63m for charging

The transport secretary has promised to make it "easier and cheaper" to buy electric cars, as the government announces £63m worth of funding to help build charging infrastructure.

- Kiran Stacey Jasper Jolly

Heidi Alexander said yesterday she wanted to make it more affordable for people to switch to electric vehicles as she announced new money for councils and other bodies to spend on the facilities to charge the cars.

Officials are also finalising plans for a £700m package of subsidies to bring down the cost of buying a new electric car.

The money still falls short of the £950m promised by the Conservatives for motorway charging points, however, which the Labour government scrapped last month, accusing the previous government of having failed to set aside funding for it.