EV charging network too London-centric, PAC claims
A new report published by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has criticised the government for a London-centric approach to developing the public EV charging network.
It said there is a significant divide between the public charging infrastructure in the capital and the rest of the country, with 43% of all charge points in the country located in London and the South East.
The report found also that a third of the 114 motorway service areas have not met government targets of six ultra-rapid charge points by the end of 2023, and claimed that the £950m committed to developing EV charging in 2020 has still not yet been allocated.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, chair of the committee, said: “It is welcome to see the EV charging roll-out beginning to ramp up, with all the implicit benefits that bearing down on emissions will bring. But this roll-out is not currently taking place equally across the nation. Meeting numerical targets for charging points is all very well.
“Delivering thousands of points allowing Londoners to easily zip around the capital while leaving the rest of the UK’s network patchy is obviously an outcome to be avoided.
“Drivers need confidence that they can use an EV without any risk of getting stranded, or they won’t make the switch. It is imperative that the motorway network has a complete range of charging points as soon as possible to provide some confidence to drivers who wish to travel about the entire country.”
