Plans to make electric vehicle chargepoints more widely available and convenient for motorists have been put forward by the government to be included in the Modern Transport Bill.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is consulting on a series of measures to make it easier for drivers to recharge as demand for low emission vehicles increases.
The government has already pledged more than £600m to boost the ultra low emission vehicle market, with the number of registered vehicles rising by 250% in two years.
Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, said: "We are committed to making transport cleaner and giving even more drivers the option of using a low emission vehicle as we strive to improve air quality across the country."
The new proposed measures would give the government powers to support charging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and improve access to the network by:
Making information about the location of public charging stations more accessible to the public, potentially via an online database and through mobile phone apps
Ensuring drivers can access chargepoints without the need for multiple memberships from individual providers
Giving powers to set common standards for all public chargepoints to ensure electric car owners can recharge anywhere, anytime
Making consumer pricing information for electricity and hydrogen fuels consistent and transparent
Supporting 'smart' electric vehicle charging that is flexible to grid demands
Ensuring there is provision of electric chargepoints and hydrogen refuelling points at large fuel retailers and motorway service areas
Encouraging the roll-out of hydrogen refuelling stations through franchising
There are currently 11,000 public chargepoints across the UK making it the largest network in Europe.
In addition the government offers a range of grants for home and workplace charging.
"Our ambition is for nearly all new cars and vans to be zero emission by 2040, and we are taking real steps to achieve this in the Modern Transport Bill," Grayling continued.
"We now want to hear the views of businesses and the wider public."
The Bill, due to be laid in parliament next year, will outline the role technology and innovation will play in delivering safe, efficient and user focused transport systems of the future.
In addition the DfT is consulting separately on the proposed Europe-wide transportation of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive that will promote charging facilities for vehicles that run on clean fuels.