Nearly £9bn economic benefits for Midlands if EV uptake increases - claim

New research by sub-national Transport Body Midlands Connect has found a quicker uptake of electric vehicles in the region could be worth nearly £9bn.

Recent investigations has shown the benefits of reducing carbon emissions and cleaner air will result in £8.7bn of benefits to the Midlands' economy.

The 'massive' benefits will start to be released by 2035 a few years after the proposed phasing out of petrol and diesel engine vehicles.

A decline in transport emissions are estimated to fall from over 14m tonnes of harmful chemicals like CO2 per annum in 2023 to under 7m tonnes per annum by 2050. This could be worth between £405m or up to £1.5bn.

The findings follow the publication of Midlands Connect's landmark report 'Supercharging the Midlands', which investigated the future of EVs in the Midlands and advocated for more EV charge points across the region.

It found that EV use in the Midlands was projected to increase by over 3000 per cent by the end of the decade.

Midlands Connects' report set out three 'scenarios' for EV uptake in the region, with low medium and high uptake.

The upper end of these scenarios have now been used by the Department for Transport in their national framework for the rollout of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, the 2035 Delivery Plan for Transitioning to Net Zero report.

Bharat Pathania, technical innovation lead at Midlands Connect, commented: “By reducing the number of petrol vehicles on our roads and swapping to healthier options like EVs, we can enjoy cleaner air across the Midlands. All in all this means less carbon dioxide and cleaner air which means a better economy.

“This isn't just a health thing - it's a massive economic thing too - it's worth up to £1.5 billion for the NHS and nearly £9 billion for the Midlands' economy.

“Midlands Connect has led the way on EV work and this analysis shows quicker uptake of EVs is win-win for everyone.”