LONDON - The U.K.
government has begun its second phase of a plan to enlarge the number of
plug-in places for electric cars, Petrol Plaza News reports. The "Plugged in
Place" initiative has put in 2,800 of the around 8,000 charging boxes for
electric or battery-powered cars in the United Kingdom.
The government has been
focused on boosting acceptance of electric vehicles ?" so-called zero emission
cars ?" for a few years, but only recently started supporting that effort with
plug-in stations.
Thus far, only 3,000
electric cars are used in the country, but industry analysts forecast those
numbers could double annually as prices fall. Experts predict an increase in
the number ?" and visibility ?" of charging points will help.
"Lots of people still
think there is no charging infrastructure around and that prevents them from
buying electric cars. So we need public infrastructure to show people that
there are lots of places they could plug in if they needed to," said Dr. Yvonne
Huebner with Newcastle University.
"We all know the feeling
when you are nearly out of fuel and there is no fuel station in sight anxiety
levels do increase," she added. "But at least we know that when we get to the
fuel station the fuel is there so when the electric points are next to the fuel
pumps perhaps the anxiety will gradually at least if you know the electric
point is next to the fuel pump."