First stage of Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill passage begins

The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill is set to have its first reading in the House of Commons today, 18 October.

The aim of the bill is to increase the access and availability of charge points for electric cars, while also giving the government powers to make it compulsory for charge points to be installed across the country.

It will also allow drivers of automated cars to be insured on UK roads.

In addition, it will see motorway services and large petrol retailers be required to install charge points for electric cars.

Drivers of electric vehicles will be able to easily locate and charge at any charge point, using information from sat navs or mobile apps, regardless of the vehicle make or model - making running an electric vehicle even easier.

All charge points will have to be ‘smart’, meaning they can interact with the grid in order to manage demand for electricity across the country.

Transport minister, John Hayes, said: “We want the UK to be the best place in the world to do business and a leading hub for modern transport technology, which is why we are introducing the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill in Parliament and investing more than £1.2 billion in the industry.

“This bill will aid the construction of greater infrastructure to support the growing demand for automated and electric vehicles as we embrace this technology and move into the future.”