Will the Minister outline what assessments have been done to determine the number of publicly available electric vehicle charging points that will be required to support the continued transition to electric vehicles?
Based on existing and future charging needs, we estimate that Wales will need over 30,000 fast chargers by 2030, or a public charger for between 7 and 11 electric vehicles, alongside home charging. This will also include a network of charging forecourts every 20 miles on the strategic road network. Our Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Strategy and Action Plan sets out our plans in detail for charging electric cars and vans in Wales.
Many of the levers influencing the uptake of EVs are held by the UK Government. We are working with the UK Government to promote their incentives to stakeholders, consumers and local authorities in Wales. Although the grants from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles supporting the purchase of zero emission cars and home charge-points have recently been discontinued, grants targeted at zero emission vans are still available.
We have previously contributed to events promoting zero emission vehicles, including vans, to both private and public sector fleet operators.
We have also engaged with stakeholders and consumer groups in the drafting of the EV Charging Strategy and Action Plan, encouraged the uptake of electric vehicles in the public sector, and are working to deliver on our ambitions for a fully zero emission fleet of buses, taxis and private hire vehicles through grants and pilot schemes.
Finally, we are working with industry including through the Wales Automotive Forum to highlight opportunities for zero emission technologies.