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A chronic shortage of charging points is denting demand for electric vehicles (EVs), plunging the British car industry into crisis.
There are currently over 71,000 public chargers in the UK, with an average of 57 added every day.
The Department for Transport described it as “a fantastic achievement”.
But the Mail’s analysis reveals that Britain needs to build around 120 a day to reach the target of having 300,000 public chargers by 2030.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the country “urgently needs a national strategy and binding targets”.
A shortage of charging points, which has fueled “range anxiety” among drivers concerned about where they can recharge their batteries, has been highlighted as one of the reasons why demand for electric vehicles has fallen. Drivers have also been put off by the price of electric vehicles, which are typically more expensive than gasoline and diesel alternatives.
Expanding network: there are now over 71,000 public chargers in the UK, with an average of 57 added every day
That means it looks like carmakers will miss sales targets set by the Government, leaving them exposed to stiff fines. Quotas and the threat of financial sanctions have made some manufacturers question their future in Britain.
Vauxhall owners debate the future of the Ellesmere Port and Luton plants. Nissan says the quotas risk causing “irreversible” damage, putting jobs and billions of pounds of investment at risk.
And Ford says the Government’s zero emissions quotas are “unworkable”, increasing pressure on ministers to relax rules and boost demand for electric vehicles through incentives.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, said: “For more people to go electric, we need ample provision of public charging points so drivers have confidence in making the switch.” Britain urgently needs a national strategy and binding targets for the rollout of charging points.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We want to accelerate the rollout further – a further £200m was committed in the Budget last month.”
“The 300,000 figure was an estimate rather than a target, and independent bodies, including the climate change committee, say infrastructure rollout is on track.”
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