EV charging lags behind
25 March 2022
New analysis by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) suggests that the provision of charging points is not keeping pace with the increasing sales of electric vehicles. It says that the situation must change dramatically in order to meet the Government’s emissions targets.
This lack of availability, incidentally, is one of the issues that has been highlighted in the series of blog posts following the experiences of Genquip Groundhog’s Peter Beach who started driving an EV for business last year (the latest update can be seen here).
The scale of the challenge is examined in Plugging the Gap, the SMMT’s recently updated blueprint for delivering the zero-emission transition.
The research reveals that the ratio of public standard chargers to electric vehicles has rapidly deteriorated, with just one charger for every 32 plug-ins across the UK compared with one for every 16 just twelve months ago
And there are significant regional variations. The report shows that there is one charger for every ten EVs in London, whereas in the north west and south west of England, there are more than 60 electric cars for every public charging point.
SMMT has advocated a nationally co-ordinated, locally delivered infrastructure plan, with binding targets for charge points that match those imposed on vehicle manufacturers.
This would address the ‘charging anxiety’ among drivers and businesses, it says, and would also help the one in three households that do not have off-street parking and would rely on public charging.
Mike Hawes, SMMT’s chief executive, said: “Delivering net zero needs a competitive industry and a competitive market. We need a holistic strategy with binding targets on charge point provision, attractive fiscal and purchase incentives, and a reliable, accessible and affordable user experience.
“We need a universal right to charge electric vehicles, for all drivers, wherever they live, wherever they travel and whatever their needs,” he added.
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