Electric car investment could boost UK economy by £51bn

Investment by the government in electric car infrastructure, including charging stations and repair garages, could produce £51bn for the UK economy per year according to a new report.

The report by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) found that 320,000 jobs could be created, along with £51bn per year through the economy, if investments are made. These investments should act to make charging electric vehicles (EVs) more convenient and to make sure that there are enough qualified persons to services and repair the vehicles.

It is suggested that while the UK’s geography makes it ideal to new vehicle technologies, the Government should support a network of 1,250 hydrogen fuelling stations to help to market grow.

The IMI also claims that it should become illegal to work on high-voltage batteries without a necessary license to encourage investment into training and improve workshop safety. This recommendation was provided after it was found that there are only 1,000 technicians in the UK who are qualified with a level four in Electric and Hybrid Maintenance.

Jim Saker, of Loughborough University and author of the report, commented "The UK by the nature of its size and geography has a natural advantage in the rapid adoption of vehicles with the new power train technologies, but it is dependent on government investment to pump prime this initiative.”

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