Hitchin MP Bim Afolami has written to the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, to ask whether the Rapid Charging Fund can be channelled towards developing town centres.

The funding aims to support the increase of electric vehicles on the UK's roads through the installation of new public charging points.

The funding suggests that 2,500 rapid charging stations will be installed across England by 2030, rising to 6,000 by 2035 - which will see the end of the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles in the UK.

An electric car is a car defined as one that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using energy stored in rechargeable batteries.

The latest data shows that 4.8 million electric cars are currently in use around the globe, with more than half of the world's all-electric car fleet in China in 2019.

However, despite the rapid growth experienced, the global stock of plug-in pure electric cars still only represents one out of every 200 vehicles.

On Clean Air Day 2020, Mr Afolami wrote to Mr Shapps, asking whether the newly announced fund could look at developing town centres like Hitchin.

This comes as Bim has been working closely with Centrica, Field Dynamics and North Hertfordshire District Council on a scheme to identify what type of infrastructure Hitchin would require to support electric vehicle usage in the future.

They recently finalised their report on this, which included several types of schemes including charging points and hubs throughout the town.

"Over the past year I have continued to work with North Hertfordshire District Council, Centrica and Field Dynamics on creating a bespoke solution for making sustainable transport a reality in Hitchin," said Mr Afolami.

"This has focused on creating better infrastructure locally for electric vehicles. Initial plans have concluded that we need more on-street chargers and a charging hub in the town, serving both residential and public transport purposes.

"Further work must be done to secure the necessary funding and I am in communication with the Department for Transport and the Office of Low Emission Vehicles about how the government can look to use the Rapid Charging Fund announced in March for our towns as well as our strategic road networks."

"I hope to see our area at the forefront of this change and welcome any suggestions from local companies on how we can achieve this."