Given the recent surge in demand for electric cars among the British public, towns and cities across the UK are facing increasing pressure to install more charging points for electric vehicles.
Recent research has shown demand for electric vehicles has risen by 23% in recent weeks, partly due to rising fuel prices. The study analysed government data to identify the regions under the greatest strain. It revealed that towns and cities are lagging behind because they have too few public charging points to support the rapid growth in the number of electric vehicle owners.
The greatest pressure is seen in Stockport, with only two public charging points per 1,000 cars. Windsor and Maidenhead, Peterborough and Slough also scored poorly, as the number of charging points is very low compared to the number of electric vehicles on the roads. In the meantime, even major cities are struggling to meet the demand, notably Leeds, where there are just 13 charging points per 1,000 electric vehicles, while Milton Keynes and parts of Greater Manchester, where demand is also outstripping supply.
According to Carwow data, electric vehicles accounted for more than half of interest in new cars in October, compared with just over 40% at the start of the year. Government grants emerged as one of the main reasons for switching to electric vehicles. Some 38% of drivers stated grants were the main reason they were considering switching to electric vehicles.
“The grant clearly sparked interest when it launched, but the reality is that many drivers still don’t know it’s there. Our data shows that drivers respond quickly when incentives are introduced, but keeping that interest going is the bigger challenge,” said Iain Reid, global content director at Carwow, warning that further measures are needed to ensure the UK remains on track to meet its zero-emission vehicle target, which involves a ban on the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
However, on spite of the desire to move away from fossil fuel vehicles, growing demand is currently outstripping the capacity of the charging network, leading to a widening gap between the number of electric vehicles on the market and the available infrastructure.
With petrol and diesel prices remaining high, more drivers are set to consider switching to electric vehicles in the coming months. Experts believe that without a rapid improvement in the charging infrastructure, the transition to zero carbon emissions and the maintenance of the mandatory scheme for zero-emission vehicles could be slowed down.
The study calls on authorities to ramp up the rollout of charging points in line with the growth in electric vehicle owners.
