Number of chargers in the UK is falling way behind uptake of electric vehicles
The UK’s public charging infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with EV uptake, Auto Express has found.
Electric and plug-in car ownership has soared from 2,254 vehicles in 2012 to 85,983 at the end of last year. However, the number of charging points in the UK has only increased from 2,883 in 1,287 locations to 11,736 in 4,243 locations during the same period. The ratio of EVs to chargers has grown from 0.78 to 7.32 in just four years, according to data obtained by charge point database Zap-Map.
That means the current car-per-charger ratio is in danger of falling behind European Union targets. The European Parliament has said for EVs to become commercially viable, there has to be at least one charger for every 10 cars on the road.
• “Growth in the EV market isn’t matched by plug-in points”
A Committee on Climate Change report previously estimated that by 2020, the UK could have around 700,000 EVs on the road – so an additional 60,000 chargers could be required in the next three years.