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New data released from the Department for Transport today sets out stark disparities in the UK’s public charging infrastructure, showing there are more charging points in Westminster than in Birmingham, Liverpool and Greater Manchester combined.
Not only this, the data reveals that of the top 10 ‘best’ local authorities for charging, eight are in London. The worst are mainly in rural locations, worsening fears that we risk leaving many behind in the electric revolution if action is not taken quickly.
The latest DfT figures also reveal that as of 1 October 2022, there were 34,637 public charging points across the UK, with an average of 875 installed each month between 1 July and 1 October. If the government is to reach its target of 300,000 public charge points by 2030, the average rate of installations will need to increase to 3,015 each month - a huge uplift of 245%.
Electrifying.com is calling for the inconsistency in charging infrastructure across Britain to be addressed immediately, or else we risk falling far short of our net zero targets.
Founder and CEO of Electrifying.com Ginny Buckley said: “The fact that there are more charging points in Westminster than Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester combined is shocking, particularly when we know that little progress has been made when it comes to the government reaching its target of 300,000 public charging points by 2030.
“The stark difference in the rate of installations across the UK will further drive inequalities in Britain’s electric car buying habits if action isn’t taken - and soon. We need the government and local authorities to step up and do better for everyone, not just the few visiting and residing in areas of London such as Westminster.
“Without doing so, we risk leaving swathes of the population behind at a critical time, reinforcing the North South divide and creating a two tier nation. If we are to inspire confidence in people to make the switch and alleviate charging anxiety, we need to make sure people can rely on the public charging network; this means increasing numbers, improving reliability and making sure that pricing is fair.”
London has more public charging points than Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester combined 
