The money could fund up to another 3,600 chargepoints across the country and make charging at home and overnight easier for those without an off-street parking space.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is also looking at making information about all public chargepoints – including locations and power ratings – openly available in a standard format for the first time. It will assess how real-time information could be published, showing whether chargepoints are in working order and currently in use, which could then be used by developers and incorporated into sat navs and route mapping apps.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “We want to make electric cars the new normal, and ensuring drivers have convenient places to charge is key to that. By doubling funding again for chargepoints on streets where people live, and opening up data, we are helping drivers easily locate and use affordable, reliable chargepoints whether at home or on the road.”

Future of transport minister George Freeman said: “Comprehensive chargepoint data is crucial for mapping charging hotspots and notspots for consumers, to help to drive forward the electric vehicle revolution. We urge local councils to make use of the funding available to ensure their residents feel the benefits of cleaner transport.”

There are more than 17,000 devices providing in excess of 24,000 publicly available chargepoints in the UK, according to the DfT. However, only around 2,400 of these are rapid chargepoints.

Figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders shows 38,000 pure electric new cars were bought in 2019, more than double the previous year. These cars now hold a 1.6 per cent share of the new car market.

But industry experts have warned demand for electric cars will be restricted unless there are significant improvements to the charging infrastructure.

Last week the DfT launched a trial to provide wireless electric car charging for taxi drivers in Nottingham.

The UK plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040, a proposal that some have said “lacks ambition”.