The Department of Transport has revealed that the number of charging stations for electric vehicles has increased significantly.
Unsurprisingly London is leading the way with a 57 chargers per 100,000 people, with Scotland second on the list with 35 chargers per 100,000. The UK average is 27, though some places are well below with Yorkshire and the Humber on a par with the West Mildlands with just 17 per 100,000.
The DfT suggests that the difference in distribution for charging points relates to the fact htat some local authorities have bid for public funds and that most of the infrastructure is provided by private enterprises such as hotels and supermarkets.
Figures show that even with coronavirus lockdown, the network has grown 11 per cent in 2020. Speaking about the increase, the RAC’s Nicholas Lyes said: “Despite the coronavirus, it’s clear that the installation of new electric vehicle chargers is continuing apace.
“With suggestions that we may have passed ‘peak petrol’, the sight of plenty of new chargers in prominent locations like supermarket car parks could be the nudge that some drivers need to opt for a plug-in car next time they change their vehicle, over one powered purely by petrol or diesel.
“While home charging is one of the most important elements of electric vehicle ownership, a comprehensive public charging network is also vital to giving drivers confidence they can keep topped up when away from home. For this reason, it’s vital new chargers are installed right across the UK in rural as well as urban locations.
“It’s also important that rapid and ultra-rapid chargers start to make up a greater proportion of new public chargers – this will mean the ‘turnover’ of electric vehicles using them can be as high as possible, and can go some way towards making the process of charging a car as normal as filling one with fuel.”