Electric car revolution at crisis point due to charging point shortage

A lack of charging points and expensive plug-in charges are holding back Britain’s electric car revolution, motoring groups warn.

In a stark message to ministers, they said more needs to be done to provide the infrastructure drivers need to make the transition to greener vehicles in an affordable way.

The challenge was exposed over Christmas when highway charging stations were overcrowded and lines of Tesla cars piled up as families traveled to visit relatives. And concerns are growing that parts of the country are lagging behind.

Government figures show that almost a third of charging points are in London, with Westminster having more than Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield and Birmingham combined.

According to an analysis by the County Councils Network (CCN), there is an average of one charger available for every kilometer in the capital, compared to one charger per 26 kilometers in England’s counties. And while electric vehicle (EV) sales surpassed diesel sales last year, it is feared that high prices and a lack of infrastructure will hinder further progress, especially in cities and poorer areas.

In December, only 509 charging points were added to the network, or about 16 per day – far short of the target of 100 per day.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: ‘At the moment there aren’t enough [chargers] on highway services, which can lead to a lot of frustration. We are also very aware that the networks have some reliability issues. There is nothing worse for EV drivers who have taken the time to plan where to charge, only to find that the chargers don’t work.’

The AA warned that many drivers, including critical workers, cannot afford an electric car and are being priced out of driving on the road by charges on petrol and diesel engines, such as the allowance in London’s so-called Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

AA fuel prices spokesman Luke Bosdet said: ‘The problem is having the finances to afford the switch – which is why low-paid London workers in critical health services need help. The ULEZ, soon to be extended, will charge those workers £12.50 a day to do their essential work because they can only afford older fossil fuel vehicles.”

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) called for a massive increase in the number of charging stations being installed across the country. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said, “What is needed is an infrastructure network built ahead of demand.”

Pod Point, a provider of charging stations for electric vehicles, hopes to do its part. It is working with Tesco, Lidl and the NHS to develop charging stations.

James McKemey, head of policy and public affairs, said the government has got the ‘big calls right’ but the private sector will have to take the lead in expanding charging infrastructure.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: ‘This government is providing more than £1.6bn to support the further roll-out of charge points and we recently pledged £450m through our Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund for local authorities across England to develop and install plans for charging infrastructure. We are also encouraging councils to use our £20m On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme to support the roll-out of public charging points in residential areas.”