To ask the Minister for Infrastructure for an update on the development of an electric vehicle strategy.

Switching fuels to low or zero emission alternatives is a key tenet of our approach to transport decarbonisation with the electrification of surface transport playing a pivotal role in reducing emissions in the Transport Sector.

I have made clear my commitment to delivering greener, cleaner, sustainable transport. Modelling undertaken by my Department has shown that a focus on removing car emissions through the transition to zero emission vehicles will have the most significant impact on reducing carbon emissions from the transport sector.

The introduction of the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes legislation in the North will support this transition by further accelerating the number of zero emission vehicles entering the new car market and building stock to enter the second-hand market. There are now over 30,000 EVs on our roads, this figure having more than doubled in the past two years. Encouragingly, strong growth in EV uptake is evident across all constituencies here.

Through the EV Infrastructure Task Force my Department has worked with other stakeholders to help facilitate the expansion of the charge point network. With a publicly accessible charge point network of over 640 chargers now in place here, this represents growth in EV charging provision of 65% since April 2023. The Rapid/Ultra Rapid charging public network, which offers the fastest, most convenient method of charging has grown by over 300% here in the same period.

My officials also continue to engage with officials from the British Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles on grants and funding available for EV Infrastructure here. I am pleased to confirm that the North has now had it’s 1,000th workplace charge point installed through the Workplace Charging Scheme. These charge points provide additional options for charging to EV owners, and will further compliment the growing publicly accessible charge point network.