The government published the tender for the contract last June and unveiled the winning design, from the Royal College of Art and PA Consulting, at the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow a few months later. Shapps, who is now business secretary, said the pillar-like design, which featured the royal coat of arms and a round, light-up handle, would be “taken across the country”, would “stand the test of time” and to be “as iconic and recognizable as the British telephone box, the London bus or the black cab”. Designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, the red telephone boxes are now almost defunct, although they still exist on some British streets where communities have repurposed them to house tiny libraries or defibrillators. Updated versions of London Red Buses and London Black Taxis are still being made, even though their manufacturers have struggled with profitability. The UK has always excelled at producing iconic designs for its public infrastructure – from post boxes and telephone boxes to buses and road signs 🇬🇧 So as we look to the future, I’m launching a design competition for an electric vehicle charging point that will stand the test of time 👇 pic.twitter.com/UZkj8UQyjq — Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) June 17, 2021 However, the Department for Transport has now admitted that the charger may not be installed on Britain’s roads. He admitted last month that “the concept is not intended for construction or development,” in response to a Freedom of Information request by Tom Riley, who writes the Fast Charge car newsletter. The government added that the project “helped raise awareness and generated excitement [sic] UK electric vehicle programme’. The competition had a budget of £200,000 but the winners delivered the design at zero cost, a government spokesman said. 📢 Exciting news pending…! Looking forward to the unveiling of an iconic new EV charging point at #COP26 Transport Day tomorrow.🔌 It will roll out nationwide, making charging even easier and more accessible as we move towards a net zero future 🌍 pic.twitter.com/GuhQkX4ozv — Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) November 9, 2021 Ministers are under pressure to improve the UK’s charging infrastructure to meet rapidly growing demand, particularly in cities where residents often lack dedicated parking. Subscribe to Business Today Get ready for the business day – we’ll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, a lobby group, warned on Friday that the government is unlikely to meet its target of 300,000 public chargers in the UK by 2030. Riley said: “The Government should not be pulling the plug on projects that will make the UK’s charging network more affordable. As more people start to get into an electric car, having handy chargers will be extremely important.”
