LeasePlan is continuing its campaign to get governments to take action on EV infrastructure under a new global initiative.

The global initiative calls on local and national policymakers to implement five specific policy recommendations to ensure a universal charging infrastructure

The leasing giant spoke out a fortnight ago to say that governments around the world must get their act together and deliver on public demand for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. It’s now upped the ante and teamed up with smart charging partner PowerD, to launch a new campaign demanding universal EV charging infrastructure.

Timed to coincide with Climate Week NYC and the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the ‘ChargeUpNow’ initiative calls for five specific policy recommendations:

• Implement a network of publicly available fast charging stations to reduce the speed of charging from hours to minutes and reduce burden on urban charging spaces.
• Remove red tape and make it easier to obtain permits for private charging stations near residences and offices.
• Include charging infrastructure in all newly constructed residential and commercial buildings.
• Increase use of green energy by EVs through smart charging solutions that use zero-emission solar and wind power.
• Develop public-private partnerships between business and local governments to facilitate fast charging infrastructure in commercial zones.

The campaign is being backed by a new petition on Change.org, advocating all five ChargeUpNow policy recommendations be implemented.

CEO Tex Gunning said: “Drivers are fed up with government inaction on EV charging infrastructure. This is a major roadblock holding back the mass adoption of EVs, which are crucial to fighting climate change and improving air quality in our towns and cities. That’s why we are launching our Global ChargeUpNow Initiative. Together, we want to give a clear and direct message to national and local policymakers about the urgent need for a universal, affordable and sustainable EV charging infrastructure. The solutions already exist – all that is missing is action from policymakers.”

The campaign has received backing from the EV100 programme, created by The Climate Group to fast-track corporate commitments to EV uptake, including founding partner LeasePlan.

Sandra Roling, head of EV100, said: “Easily available charging infrastructure is crucial for taking electro-mobility to scale. It is great to see our EV100 members not only making EVs a reality in their own operations, but engaging with their wider networks to drive change for everyone.”