authorities – All about car

Local authorities called on to boost public EV charge point numbers A new league table highlights those areas with good or poor coverage The Transport Secretary has written to local authorities in the UK, urging them to make use of funding available to increase electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The calls from Grant Schapps MP come after the Department for Transport has published a ‘league table’ of data, showing public EV charge point numbers across areas of the UK. Using data from Zap-Map, the information shows how many public EV charge points there are per 100,000 population, broken down by local authority. There is also a separate column indicating how many rapid chargers there are in each area. The government wants driving an electric vehicle to be convenient and viable for those anywhere in the country, and that local authorities have a key role to play in the roll out of infrastructure. London is leading the way in terms of charge point numbers, with the region having almost 4,000 devices. All but two areas to have more than 100 charge points per 100,000 people are London local authorities. The City of London is comfortably top with 414 – well ahead of Westminster in second place with 190 charge points per 100,000 residents. Considering two island local authorities in Scotland are the other areas to have more than 100 points per 100,000 people, it should come as no surprise that Scotland as a region is in second place behind London. At the other end of the scale, there are still 100 local authorities that have fewer than 10 public chargers per 100,000 population. While in itself this may not be much of an issue, considering most EV charging is carried out at home, it does indicate a tougher time of things for those either visiting the area or looking to run an EV without access to off-street parking at home. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Your postcode should play no part in how easy it is to use an electric car, and I’m determined electric vehicles become the new normal for drivers. “It’s good news there are now more charging locations than petrol stations, but the clear gaps in provision are disappointing. I urge local councils to take advantage of all the government support on offer to help ensure drivers in their area don’t miss out. “To help increase the provision of charging locations, the government is offering grants for the installation of charge points on the street, in work and at home. We are also offering grants to lower the upfront cost of these cars so everyone is able to experience the benefits.” Minister for the Future of Transport George Freeman said: “Mapping charge points and producing a league table of availability by council area is intended to raise awareness. “There are now more than 22,500 public charge points and at least one rapid charge point at over 95% of all motorway services areas. To help level up the country, we’ve recently doubled the funding available for councils to build charge points on residential streets.” To take a look at the league table and a map of how local authorities perform per population, visit the DfT website here. Alternatively, click below to find public EV charge points in your area on Zap-Map.
Origin: Local authorities called on to boost public EV charge point numbers

An Australian automotive enthusiast living in the U.K. found himself in a bit of hot water with French customs when they deemed his 1970 Holden HG ute a smuggling vehicle, threatening to crush it and hand him a fine along with a jail sentence. Thankfully, after a year of explaining the ute is just obscure and not criminal, the owner is getting it back. It began when Travis McKimmie bought the well-maintained HG in the Netherlands and had it put on a truck and shipped to England. Along the way, a French customs patrol dog caught the scent of cannabis and sniffed out a small amount of years-old pot that was tucked in the vehicle’s spare wheel. Oh, mon dieu, un joint! Then, during a more thorough search, officials uncovered what they suspected to be a pair of smugglers’ compartments under a hatch at the rear of the vehicle. That’s when they impounded the vehicle and handed McKimmie a €70 fine for the cannabis. In actuality, the two 4020 cm hatches were created by the automaker itself. See, the Holden HG was built on a sedan or station wagon floorpan, so when the brand put a steel panel over the footwells to fashion the bed of the ute, it left two hollow compartments below. Some people put nothing in them, some put ice in them, and others, apparently, fill them with drugs. McKimmie was first told the vehicle would be crushed, then informed that instead French customs would use it as an educational tool for spotting smuggling vehicles. But he wasn’t having any of it. He bought the car fair and square and wasn’t about to let a little stale weed stand in the way of the restoration he had planned. So he began an education of his own, sending photos and emails and information to French customs, explaining the history and strange but explainable build of the Holden. At first the customs officials resisted, even threatening McKinnie with a heavier fine and a jail sentence if he challenged their decision. But he didn’t relent. After a year in the impound (for which McKinnie was charged €280) and many emails sent on its behalf, the vehicle is finally on its way to the U.K. “I finally got the end of the story that I wanted,” McKimmie said in a Facebook post in late April. “People in the U.K. don’t get it they just think it’s a old pick up as they call them over here but to me it’s a bit of Aussie
Origin: French authorities return classic ute after realizing it’s not built for smuggling