The government has doubled its funding for the installation of electric vehicle chargepoints on residential streets next year.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the £10 million investment today, 21 January, which could fund up to another 3,600 chargepoints across the country and make charging at home and overnight easier for those without an off-street parking space.

The Department for Transport will also look at how real-time information could be published, showing whether chargepoints are in working order and currently in use, which could then be used by developers and incorporated into sat navs and route mapping apps.

Discussing the new investment, Mr Shapps said: "We want to make electric cars the new normal, and ensuring drivers have convenient places to charge is key to that.

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"By doubling funding again for chargepoints on streets where people live and opening up data we are helping drivers easily locate and use affordable, reliable chargepoints whether at home or on the road."

This announcement follows the establishment of the government's National Chargepoint Registry (NCR) in 2011, which is an open source of data for all public chargepoints. All publicly funded chargepoints are already required to be uploaded onto the NCR, but the government now aims to ensure information on all public chargepoints is released.

Future of Transport Minister George Freeman added: "The new government is accelerating UK leadership in digitalisation and decarbonisation through our future of transport strategy.

"Supporting the smart use of open data for new apps to help passengers and drivers plan journeys, and to reduce congestion and pollution, is key.

"Comprehensive chargepoint data is crucial for mapping charging hotspots and notspots for consumers, to help to drive forward the electric vehicle revolution.

"We urge local councils to make use of the funding available to ensure their residents feel the benefits of cleaner transport."

(CM/JG)