Motorway services and petrol stations may be required to install electric charging points as part of Government plans to ensure the UK is at the forefront of electric vehicle developments. The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill, announced in the Queen's Speech, will encourage the use of electric and self-driving cars. The proposals in the Bill are identical to those in a Bill presented in the last Parliament but which did not receive Parliamentary approval before the General Election.
The plans include measures to support the building of infrastructure and also consumer uptake of electric and autonomous cars. Compulsory motor insurance would also be extended to driverless cars, “to ensure that compensation claims continue to be paid quickly, fairly and easily”.
The first all-electric car to be built in the UK rolled off of the production line in 2013, and the Government wants "almost every car and van to be zero-emission by 2050".
The Government said it was committed to spending £600m during this parliament to support the ultra low emissions market. More British drivers own an electric vehicle than drivers from any other EU nation. And one in five electric cars sold in the EU last year was made in the UK.
The SMMT commented that taking a lead in the creation of electric and autonomous cars would bring big benefits for Britain. The Society puts the value of the introduction of autonomous cars and the systems that connect them to the internet at £51bn a year to the UK economy by 2030, and more than 300,000 jobs could be created in the field.