The number of electric vehicle (EV) chargers being installed round the UK is not enough to keep up with the increase in the tally of electric cars being sold, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
It noted that while the number of plug-in vehicles is expected to rise to more than a quarter of new registrations in 2023, the rise in EV chargers is lagging behind.
In the final quarter of last year just one EV charger was fitted for every 62 plug-in cars registered, compared to one of every 42 in the equivalent period of 2021. Over the course of 2022, the ratio was one to 53.
This presents the potential problem of drivers increasingly adopting electric cars, but finding it hard to access charging points near them or facing large queues to use the ones that do exist.
By going on an EV charging course, you could help provide the manpower needed to ensure plenty more charging points are installed, so that the infrastructure needed to support the switch to electric vehicles is in place.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “The automotive industry is already delivering growth that bucks the national trend and is poised, with the right framework, to accelerate the decarbonisation of the UK economy. “
However, he added, “consumer anxiety over new technology” poses a potential risk to progress, calling for the government to support the EV sector in the Budget.
According to government figures provided via the Zap-Map database, the number of EV charging points in the UK was 37,851 in January 2023, up 31 per cent on a year earlier. These were spread over 22,355 locations. January itself saw another 839 charge points being installed.
In addition to national concerns over charger numbers, some regions have more reason for concern than others. For instance, almost 31 per cent of the charge points are in London, which has a population of just under nine million but lower car ownership than other cities, whereas just 6.5 per cent are in the north west of England with its population of 7.4 million.