The EV revolution is being slowed down by the charging point crisis

The UK's electric car revolution is being undermined by a lack of charging points.

Just 16,178 public chargers were installed last year – 44 per day, and well short of the 110 needed to meet the government's target of 300,000 in Britain by the end of the decade.

The figures come from an analysis by the Mail of data from load finder service Zapmap. They will heighten concerns about 'range anxiety' that is making many petrol and diesel drivers hesitant to switch to electric vehicles (EVs).

A separate report from the RAC found that the Department for Transport has missed its target of having at least six fast or ultra-fast chargers at every motorway service station in England by the end of 2023.

This was achieved at only 46 of the 119 sites, with four sites having no facilities at all.

Quentin Willson, former Top Gear presenter and founder of campaign group Fair Charge, called for a 'charging czar' to oversee the rollout and intervene where they are most urgently needed.

He said: “As far as infrastructure projects go, this is not that difficult. Why are we making this one so difficult?'

Last year, Rishi Sunak imposed a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035, following a campaign by the Mail to delay it.

According to Zapmap figures, there were 53,233 public charging points for electric cars in mid-December, 16,178 more than at the beginning of January.

The Mail revealed last year that Westminster had more electric car chargers than six major cities in the North and Midlands combined.

Tory MP Sir John Redwood said: 'The Government must understand that to make this work there needs to be a popular revolution where consumers think the cars are affordable, good and will do what they want. Not enough people think that right now.'

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: 'The pace of rollout must be accelerated and barriers – particularly around planning and delays to grid connections – must be removed.'

Ian Plummer, commercial director at Auto Trader, blamed the government for the red tape and said cutting the 20 percent VAT on rechargeable devices would encourage the use of electric cars.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said: 'For the 40 per cent of households without dedicated parking, we need to see more improvements and plans in rural locations where car ownership is more likely.'

A government spokesperson said: 'There are more than 50,000 public charging points – a 44 per cent increase on this time last year – with more to come after the private sector pledged to double the network, backed by £6 billion of investments by 2030.'