Charging infrastructure developing too slowly

The number of installed public devices has increased by 8,680 since January 2022, according to figures released by the government.

This represents an increase of 31% increase. Meanwhile, the number of rapid charging devices increased by 34%, with an additional 1,731 public devices installed.

Mark Newberry, commercial director and sustainability spokesperson at Europcar Mobility Group UK said: “There is no doubt progress has been made in building the public charging infrastructure over the last year with a 31% increase. But the queues at charging points evidence the fact that there is still much work to be done to ensure the UK is ready for the EV revolution.

“A snapshot poll commissioned by Europcar Mobility Group UK earlier this month found that 59% of motorists currently prefer to charge at home, followed by 23% at an office and 18% ‘on the go’. This not only underlines the convenience issues that currently exist, but also the costs.

“Recent RAC Research has suggested that the cost of rapid-charging an electric car using a public charging network had increased by about 50% in the past eight months. However, it found that those who charged at home were still getting great value.

“For motorists to have confidence in switching to zero emissions, there definitely needs to be more chargers, with improved reliability and an increased volume of rapid charging. But in the short-term, for those fortunate enough to have off-road parking, charging at home works really well and successfully supports the transition to sustainable mobility.”