Motoring groups warn that Britain’s electric car revolution is being held back by a lack of charging points and high plug-in prices.
Ministers were sent a clear message that more needs to be done to provide the infrastructure required for drivers to switch to greener vehicles in an affordable way.
This was evident over Christmas when Tesla cars flooded charging points and lines formed as families travelled to visit family members. There are growing concerns that some parts of the country may be being overlooked.
According to government figures, nearly three-quarters of all charging points are located in London. Westminster also has more charging points than Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle combined.
According to an analysis by the County Councils Network, (CCN), there is an average of one charger per mile in the capital and one for every 16 miles in English counties. Even though electric vehicle (EVs) sales have outpaced diesel sales last year it is possible that high prices and a lack of infrastructure will hinder further progress in poorer and smaller towns.
In December, the network was only equipped with 509 charging points. This is far less than the target of 100 per day.
Simon Williams, a spokesperson for RAC, stated that there are not enough charging stations for motorway services. This can cause frustration and a lot of inconveniences. We also know that there are reliability problems with the networks. T
“There is nothing worse than finding out that the chargers have stopped working for EV drivers, who took the time to plan where they would recharge.
The AA warned that many drivers including critical workers cannot afford an EV. They are being priced out of driving on the roads by levies on petrol or diesel engines, such as the fee for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), in London.
Luke Bosdet, a spokesperson for AA on fuel prices, said that ‘the problem is having enough money to switch. This is why low-paid London workers working in critical community health services require help. These workers pay £12.50 per day to use the ULEZ to do their vital work, as they cannot afford older, fossil-fuelled vehicles.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), called for a huge increase in charging stations being installed across the country. Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, stated that a network that is more efficient than demand is what is needed.
Pod Point, a provider of electric vehicle charging points, hopes to do its part. It collaborates with Lidl, Tesco and the NHS to create charging stations.
James McKemey (head of policy and public affairs) stated that while the Government has made the “big calls right”, the private sector will need to lead the expansion of the charging infrastructure.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport stated that: “This Government is providing over £1.6billion for the continued rollout of charge points. We recently pledged £450million through Our Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund for English local authorities to develop plans for and install charging infrastructure.
“We encourage councils to use our £20million Residential Chargepoint Scheme to support residential area rollouts of public charge points.
