As England and Wales go to the polls, it has been revealed that UK motorists do not feel their council is doing enough to help make the switch to electric vehicles.
Only 30 per cent say drivers who own or want to own an electric vehicle have support from their local council, new research from car brand Vauxhall has found.
This comes as many drivers turn out to vote in the local and mayoral elections on Thursday, May 2.
Vauxhall has found that only 30 per cent of drivers feel supported by their local authorities in switching to electric vehicles.
Around 75 per cent of UK drivers rely on their local authorities to be the main driving force behind the installation of on-street charging (devices located on residential streets only) to meet demand and increase vehicle ownership electrical.
However, despite the government’s push towards zero-emission driving, most motorists reported that charging infrastructure has fallen off the political agenda.
Only 25 per cent of the 2,000 drivers surveyed by Vauxhall had noted that issues relating to electric vehicle charging infrastructure played a role in political manifestos and polling of local candidates.
London is the only place in the UK where voters feel their council supports the move to zero-emission driving.
Many voters believe better charging options are needed, with fewer than one in 10 drivers telling Vauxhall that they are happy with on-street charging in their area.
Satisfaction rates were even lower in some parts of Britain, with only four per cent of respondents in Wales happy with local curbside charging.
London was found to be the only region in the country where a majority of motorists (60 per cent) say electric vehicle drivers are supported by their council.
England’s capital was also the only area where more than 50 per cent of drivers noted issues with electric vehicle infrastructure playing a role in the political campaign ahead of local elections.
Providing curbside charging is vital for the 40 percent of drivers who do not have access to a driveway and rely on curbside charging.
Street charging is vital for the 40 percent of drivers who do not have access to their vehicle and cannot charge at home.
The installation of public charging devices in the UK since 2015 has been substantial, but critics say it is not keeping pace with EV adoption or government ambitions.
This report is released as the Department of Transportation released its April 2024 electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics.
As of 1 April, there were 59,670 public EV charging devices installed in the UK, an increase of 11 per cent since 1 January. In total, 5,993 new devices have been installed since the beginning of the year.
Around 37 per cent (22,199) of all UK shippers are designated as ‘on-street’ shippers, while the other 46 per cent (27,583) are ‘destination shippers’.
Destination charging devices are located at the end of an EV journey or at a location where the driver will stop for an extended period, such as car parks, leisure centres, restaurants and hotels.
Compared to April 1, 2023, there has been a 49 percent increase in one year, with 19,520 new charging devices installed.
Sainsbury’s launched its own electric car charging brand in January, becoming the first UK supermarket to introduce and operate its own electric vehicle charging network.
The DfT found an overall increase in the number of public charging devices across all regions of the UK.
But, as Vauxhall also highlighted, the DfT reports “an uneven geographical distribution of charging devices within the UK”.
The DfT also attributes this to the failure of councils, as “some UK local authorities have bid for UK Government funding to charge devices, and others have not”.
In July 2023, Vauxhall’s Electric Streets of Britain campaign found that more than 70 per cent (71.6) of UK councils do not currently have a published strategy for installing residential street charging.
Vauxhall submitted a freedom of information request to 414 councils and local authorities across the UK, of which 298 responded.
At the time, Vauxhall found that 69 per cent of local authorities had not yet installed on-street residential charging points.
Public charging devices by charging device destination April 1, 2024
After London, Scotland leads the UK with the best provision of public chargers per 100,000 people, with Dundee (pictured) being one of Europe’s top EV cities.
As the DfT report shows, all UK regions are benefiting from increased public charging, just because local authorities are not providing on-street chargers does not mean residents will not have access to any public charging.
Instead, private companies are having to pick up the slack, stepping in to help residents who feel abandoned by their city councils’ electric vehicle efforts.
The DfT confirms in its April report “that most of the provision of this infrastructure has been market-driven, with individual charging networks and other businesses (such as hotels) choosing where to install the devices.”
Public charging devices per 100,000 people by UK country and region: 1 April 2024
Counties with a large number of rural residents tend to have a lower number of public charging devices per 100,000 people than urban areas.
Recent figures show that, unsurprisingly, London is miles ahead when it comes to public charger availability.
Data from DfT and ZapMap shows that London has 221 public charging devices per 100,000 people, ahead of the UK average of 89/100,000.
Scotland also leads Britain with 93 devices per 100,000.
The North West and Humber lag behind with 53/100,000, while Northern Ireland has the worst rate with just 29 chargers per 100,000.
James Taylor, Vauxhall managing director, said: “Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is just one of many concerns that should be discussed in great detail ahead of this year’s local and mayoral elections.
‘While recent figures show the number of charging points is increasing, our latest research highlights how drivers are increasingly reliant on their local authorities to ensure their infrastructure needs are met.
“We hope councils listen to these drivers who rely on their support to give them confidence and ensure motorists across the country feel they can join the electric transition efficiently and safely.”
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