UK councils not up to speed on EV charging

Most UK councils do not have a published strategy in place for residential on-street charging for electric vehicles (EV)

A study by Vauxhall has revealed that more than 70% of UK councils currently do not have a published strategy, leaving millions of potential EV drivers without a place to charge.

The new findings from a Freedom of Information application across 414 councils and local authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland also showed that 69% of local authorities have yet to install any on-street chargers.

According to the 289 councils who provided data up to July 1st, only 14,188 new charge points are planned for installation this year, well behind the run rate required to hit the Government’s target of having 300,000 running by the end of 2030.

Of the councils who responded to the investigation across the UK, 45% confirmed they had no plans to install residential on-street chargers this year.

In response, Vauxhall  has set up the ‘Electric Streets of Britain’ programme to make sure drivers without driveways are not left behind in the transition to electric mobility.

Working with charging operators char.gy, Connected Kerb and SureCharge, Vauxhall has set up an ‘Enablement Fund’ to help councils understand the scale of on-street charging issues, and the solutions available, ahead of the Government’s planned ban on the sale of new combustion engined cars in 2030.

Vauxhall has also set up a new national database at http://electricstreets.co.uk/ for the public to register their needs, enabling councils to have a better understanding of where demand really lies for on-street charging for both existing and potential EV drivers.

James Taylor, managing director, Vauxhall, said: “Accessibility to charge points near your home is critical to the transition to electric vehicle ownership in the UK. We want to galvanise the needs and interests of everyone, from the public,to the councils and the charging operators to make sure that anyone without a driveway is part of that journey.

“We want to help educate and inform the decision-makers, and enable the installation of more chargers, more quickly.”