An automotive industry group has called on the Government to improve infrastructure for electric vehicles, after new figures revealed a growing North-South divide in charging point availability.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published a seven-point plan which aims to ensure all drivers can benefit from an electric vehicle charging network that is affordable, available and accessible to all.
The sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be banned in the UK from 2030 and rising demand for electric vehicles shows they now account for almost 20% of new car sales.
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But public charging infrastructure is struggling to keep up in some areas, and SMMT research has shown the number of public charges in the North rising from one in 37 to one in 52 last year, while standing at only one in 30 in the South.
Greater adoption of electric vehicles will be key for the North East economy, with Nissan set to add production of a second EV at it Sunderland plant and the region set to have the first two battery gigafactories in the UK.
The SMMT says a nationally coordinated and locally delivered infrastructure plan would put the needs of consumers first, while also giving chargepoint operators and local authorities certainty to install the right number of the right chargers in the right places ahead of need, across every part of the UK.
Those calls have been backed by Gateshead-based national motor chain Vertu Motors, whose CEO Robert Forrester said Government expectations of local authorities and private sector is too high.
He said: “We are now getting into the mass adoption stakes and have new franchises coming on selling electric vehicles and new, cheaper electric vehicles coming in and that’s hitting this block of how do we do charging? There’s going to be a lot of inovation in the next eight years but the Government doesn’t seem to take full responsibility for the fact they are going to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.
“They seem to think that the market is going to miraculously sort the problem out but it will not be able to.
“Take our business - we’re investing well over £1.5m this year in electric vehicle charging points in our own dealerships and we’re stuck frankly, because the electricity substations near our dealerships aren’t capable of actually giving us the electricity. This is a major block on progress.”
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “The automotive industry is up for the challenge of a zero-emission new car and van market by 2035. Delivering this ambition – an ambition that would put the UK ahead of every major market in the world – needs more than automotive investment. It needs the commensurate commitment of all other stakeholders, especially the charging industry as surveys show that range anxiety has been replaced by charging anxiety.
“Our plan puts the consumer at the heart of this transition, assuring them of the best possible experience backed by an independent regulator. With clear, equivalent targets and support for operators and local authorities that match consumer needs, government can ensure the UK has a chargepoint network that makes electric mobility a reality for all, cutting emissions, driving growth and supporting consumers across the UK.”
Research released last month found electric car owners face a “postcode lottery” when it comes to the cost of using council-owned charging points.
Figures for more than 400 councils obtained by British Gas showed 21 councils across England and Wales allow motorists to top up their batteries for free, while drivers in other areas are charged up to £4 per kilowatt hour (kWh).
