The number of electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints in the UK is just over ten per cent of the government’s targets by 2030, according to a recent report.
There are currently 32,011 chargepoints, which means the government will need to install 30,000 more a year to meet its goal of 300,000 within seven years, the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem Report revealed.
Jonny Berry, head of decarbonisation at Novuna Vehicle Solutions, which released the study, said: “This target is some way off.”
Noting it has taken a decade to build 32,000 chargers, which is the same number needed to be installed every year from now, he said: “The government, including local and combined authorities, should be tackling this issue head on.”
Currently, 76 per cent of EV motorists do not think the charging infrastructure in the UK is fit for purpose, with EVs outnumbering chargepoints by 15 to one.
In the south-west, it is as bad as 32 to one, while London has five EVs for every public charger.
When it comes to rapid chargepoints, there is just one for every 80 EVs, which is a ratio of 1.25 for every 100 drivers.
Despite this, demand for EVs continues to grow, with sales increasing by 186 per cent in 2020. There are now nearly half a million electric cars being used in the UK (477,000), as well as 790,000 hybrids.
As more people are considering swapping their petrol or diesel models for EVs, the government is under pressure to resolve the chargepoint problem as soon as possible.
This is making it even more important to have EV charging facilities at home, so drivers can, at least, make sure their car has enough energy to operate for its next journey.
For more information on domestic EV charging point installation, take a look here.