Electric vehicles now have their own day of celebration, designed to raise awareness of the opportunities that EVs present and a chance to focus on e-mobility.
World EV Day has partners from many of the charging suppliers and car manufacturers, as well as other organisations involved with the electric car ecosystem.
To celebrate this new day, the UK's Department for Transport has announced that it's looking into a number of initiatives to help promote electric motoring in the UK.
Part of this is an extension of Highways England's electric van trial scheme. This has been in place in Leeds and will be expanded with a £9.3 million pot to encourage businesses to try electric alternatives.
The government has also pledged £12 million in funding for research, supporting competitions that focus on developing new EV technologies. This will help develop more advanced charging technologies, for example.
Beyond those cash-based pledges, the Department for Transport is also looking at other ways to promote electric car use, such as painting EV parking spaces green and increasing charging points at popular destinations and supermarkets.
"Whether you're taking a trip with the family or commuting to work, with the wide range of models at competitive prices, it is now more cost-effective and convenient than ever to drive and charge an electric vehicle," said Grant Shapps, transport secretary.
"This together with our continued support for R&D, will see talented UK-based SMEs flourish, as well as more than 6,000 skilled jobs created up and down the country."
"This is why, on the world's first ever day dedicated to celebrating electric vehicles, I'm delighted to announce our unwavering support for a cleaner, greener transport future."
Regardless of what the government is doing, electric car adoption is growing. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), registrations of battery electric vehicles are up 157 per cent over 2019.
Much of this will come down to increasing availability and a wider range of models. In 2020, we've seen the introduction of more affordable models and a range of vehicles from established brands. That, along with increased awareness of environmental issues, and increasing availability of fast charging points across the country is fuelling the switch away from conventional combustion vehicles.