Only one new public charging station installed for 62 new electric cars purchased in the last three months of 2022
Only one new public charging point was installed for 62 electric cars purchased in the last three months of last year.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said 119,042 plug-in vehicles were registered between October and December – but only 1,926 chargers were added to the network.
The figures will fuel fears that Britain’s electric car revolution is being held back by a lack of charging infrastructure.
Deficit: The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said 119,042 plug-in vehicles were registered between October and December last year, but only 1,926 chargers were installed
The problem has seen charging stations overwhelmed by long queues of electric vehicles (EVs) piling up as frustrated drivers wait their turn.
And there are fears that the problem is getting worse.
In the last three months of 2021, a charging point was installed for every 42 registered electric vehicles, a much better ratio than one for every 62 a year later.
Over the whole of 2022, a charging station was installed for 53 new plug-in cars sold.
The SMMT expects plug-ins to account for more than a quarter of new cars this year and nearly a third in 2024.
The professional association calls on the government to strengthen the supply of charging stations.
“Imposing deployment targets for infrastructure and regulating service standards would give drivers confidence that they can always find a working and available charger,” a SMMT spokesperson said.
The Mail recently revealed that nearly a third of electric car charging stations are in London, with the borough of Westminster having more than Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Leeds, Sheffield and Birmingham combined.
And the SMMT spokesperson added: “Infrastructure must be built before demand, otherwise poor supply risks delaying the electricity transition”.
