Local authorities charged with EV development
Nearly half of respondents to a new survey believe local authorities should be take charge of planning and delivering electric charging infrastructure.
The Venson Automotive Solutions survey found that 43% of respondents back a government proposal for local authorities to deliver EV infrastructure, while 28% believe that a national organisation, such as Highways England, would be better placed to take on the responsibility. One one in five would prefer to see private organisations specialising in EV charging – such as Shell EV or Pod Point – run the charging infrastructure.
A consultation now being carried out through the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) identified a divide between the size and quality of EV infrastructure local authorities have achieved to date – some have taken positive steps while others have yet to identify the changes they could make.
Alison Bell, marketing director at Venson Automotive Solutions, said: “The government is proposing introducing a statutory obligation for local authorities to plan and deliver EV infrastructure in their area. Our survey shows that whilst driver opinion is split, more motorists believe responsibility should lie with local councils rather than other organisations.
“With the right funding and statutory obligations on councils we should see less well-served areas have improved charging infrastructure which will help to meet the needs of all communities. We would hope that such a move would encourage more drivers to adopt an EV ahead of the 2030 deadline.”
