- The Which? survey? also found that 73% had experienced a faulty public charger
The public electric vehicle charging network is ‘not fit for purpose’ due to high costs, poor reliability and confusion, a poll has found.
About 69 percent of electric car owners are dissatisfied with the availability and operation of charging stations.
The findings are based on research by experts at Which? who said the issues hit the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs), which offer greener and cheaper travel costs than petrol and diesel cars.
A third of EV drivers and 48 percent of hybrid owners believe that public charging points are too expensive. They add VAT to the usage costs, making it much more expensive than charging at home.
Meanwhile, about 73 percent of respondents said they have experienced a broken public charger at least once in the past 12 months. And 37 percent said it was difficult to find one that works.
About 69 percent of electric car owners are dissatisfied with the availability and operation of charging stations (Stock Image)
A third of EV drivers and 48 percent of hybrid owners believe that public charging points are too expensive. They add VAT to the usage costs, making it much more expensive than charging at home (Stock Image)
The survey found that 21 percent of EV drivers and 25 percent of hybrid owners found charging points confusing and difficult to use.
This is largely because there are many different operators, each with their own app. About 85 percent indicate that they prefer a simple system that allows contactless payments.
Sue Davies, which one? head of consumer protection policy: ‘People want to make more sustainable choices and switch to an electric vehicle, but many motorists lack confidence in the public charging infrastructure.
‘The government and charging point operators must continue to work together to ensure Britain’s charging infrastructure is up to scratch. Charging must be easy and reliable.’
Which one? one member said they couldn’t use a charger because an app needed to be downloaded and their phone had poor signal.
Another described public charging infrastructure as “dismal” and claimed it is “infinitely more complex” to charge an electric car than to buy gasoline.
Which one? member described public charging infrastructure as ‘dismal’ and claimed it is ‘infinitely more complex’ to charge an electric car than to buy petrol (Stock Image)
The Department for Transport said the number of charging points has increased by 45 percent in a year and the government is on track to meet or exceed its target of 300,000 by 2030.
Richard Hebditch, from campaign group Transport & Environment UK, outlined major regional differences in public charging points.
He said MPs need to deliver infrastructure in areas such as Yorkshire and the North West so they can improve their ‘charging provision’.