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.
But despite the Government announcing a £600million boost to promote uptake of electric and plug-in vehicles, Melanie Shufflebotham, director of Zap-Map, estimates the number of chargers will rise to just 30,000 in 12,000 locations by 2022.
Yoann Le Petit, Clean Vehicle and Emobility officer at campaign group Transport & Environment, said: “The UK now has good coverage in many areas, but will need to ensure fast charging points continue to be developed throughout the trunk road network, notably between Sunderland and Leeds, and Edinburgh and Newcastle.”
But it’s not just up to the Government to invest in the infrastructure. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, stressed: “Ultimately, public investment in charging infrastructure will need to be matched by the private sector.” The Government’s own Go Ultra Low campaign found more than 90 per cent of all EV charging takes place at home, and for those who drive further than the national 10-mile average commute, “charging infrastructure is growing rapidly”.
Ratio of electric vehicles to chargers
| Year | EV/PHEV | Chargers | EV per charger |
| 2012 | 2,254 | 2,883 | 0.78 |
| 2013 | £5,840 | £5,719 | 1.02 |
| 2014 | 20,372 | 6,827 | 2.98 |
| 2015 | 49,076 | 8,483 | 5.78 |
| 2016 | 85,983 | 11,736 | 7.32 |
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